


Dalton Academy for Girls

by stripper_girl_drunk



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, but thats okay, the faberry ship might be a raft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 08:16:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14131944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stripper_girl_drunk/pseuds/stripper_girl_drunk
Summary: Rachel has had it with the bullying she endures daily at McKinley High, and decides to transfer to start anew. When New Directions gets word of this, the shock of what they've truly lost has set in, and one blonde cheerleader makes it her mission to win the brunette back.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize that this isn't a new story, though for some of you it may be. I've been writing Dalton for quite some time now--it's pretty much my baby that I've abandoned for years at a time, but it's still rollin--slowly but surely. I wanted to bring it over from fanfic.net to ao3, so here it is. Much love, gleeks.

Everyone has their breaking point. 

I spent so much time trying to prove to myself otherwise. I tried to tell myself that I was a strong individual who would not under any circumstances give in to the continuous stream of rude remarks directed at me on a day to day basis. I mean, they were just words, right? People often said and did things that were completely unlike them, simply for the attention it won them from their peers. After all, this is high school we're talking about. This is the time when everyone is still trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and who they will become. It is a confusing time for many people.

Personally, I've always known who I am, who I want to be, and who I will become.

A star.

I know what people say behind my back when they think that I can't hear them. I'm full of myself, I'm destined to fail. I was born a nobody, and a nobody I shall stay. But they're wrong, I can tell you that much. I have worked incredibly hard for everything that I have achieved. Every medal, every trophy, every plaque. I will let nothing stand in the way of my dreams. 

Let them use their cruel words when they know I'm in earshot. I'll do what I have always done; I'll endure. I'll pretend to have heard nothing. When they intentionally bump into me and knock my books out of my hands, I'll pick them up with a smile on my face, telling myself that it was clearly an accident on their part. When they make fun of my clothing, I'll tell myself it's simply because they're jealous that they didn't think of it first. When they tell me that no one will ever love me because of who I am, I'll smile politely and walk down the hallway, trying to hide the tears that make their way down my face.

Enduring is what I do best. I endure their cruelties five days out of the week; I've definitely mastered the art. Each day I pretend that I'm not torn apart by the things they say; they're just words. But what they don't seem to understand is that their 'just words' have consequences. It hurts me more than I could ever voice, and I don't know how much more I can take. Seconds turn in to minutes, minutes in to hours. Hours turn into days, days in to weeks. All this time, I've endured. But everyone has their breaking point, and I recall the exact moment in time that I reached mine.

...GLEE.

“Shove it, man-hands. We aren't singing that shitty song, and that's that. I think I speak for everybody when I say sit the eff down.” 

We were all gathered in the glee choir room, usual spots in order. Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez were sitting in the back. Finn Hudson, Noah Puckerman and Sam Evans in the middle. Mercedes Jones, Mike Chang, Tina Chang and Artie Abrams up front. I, Rachel Berry, was currently standing in the front of said choir room, trying to impose upon my fellow glee clubbers the importance of song selection. As per usual, they refused to listen, and told me directly what they thought of me and my song choice. This time the argument was lead by Santana Lopez, the latina Cheerio with a bad attitude, and an entire collection of cruel quips.

“Santana, song selection is of the utmost importance, and I really believe that none of you realize the severity of the situation, and furthermore-”

“That's enough, Rachel. I think everyone understands what you're trying to say. Go ahead and take a seat.” 

Before I had finished, I was interrupted by Mr. Schuester's voice that was clearly laced with annoyance.  
I begrudgingly made my way back to my seat, attempting to avoid eye contact with everyone. I looked up briefly and met Quinn's eyes, surprised to see a look akin to compassion. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone in a flash, replaced with her usual stony glare that was reserved especially for me.

I sat down with a huff and crossed my arms over my chest. I was annoyed with all of them, and I wanted it to show. Call it childish if you will, but at that moment I didn't care. Finn glanced over briefly, and sad smile on his face. He may not be most intelligent person on the face of the planet, but there were times when I was sure that he understood how I felt. I sighed once more and attempted to pay attention to what was being said at the front of the room. 

“Okay guys, come on. I want song ideas! I know you all have something to contribute, so let me hear it.” 

I turned to our teacher, an incredulous look on my face. 

“Mr. Schuester, I have been trying to share my ideas with all of you for a good part of an hour, and none of you seem to be listening. I'm a natural born star. I think that it's a wise choice for all of you-”

“Just shut up Ru Paul, no one wants to hear you right now. Or ever, really.”

Ah, and there she was. The Quinn Fabray that I was familiar with. That person with the compassionate smile had cleared out pretty quickly. Maybe it was just my imagination, and she never really existed at all.

“Quinn, if you would just listen-”

“We all know you're a star Rachel, you make it clear to us everyday that you know way more than we do, and we should all pretty much just keep our mouths shut and let you make all the decisions. To be honest, I'm sick of it.”

I was shocked to see Mercedes speaking up. Granted, she wasn't known for being shy, but this outburst was definitely unexpected, and I, for once, was left speechless.

“You're like totally my hot Jew, but sometimes you just don't know when to be quiet.”

One by one the glee club members voiced their opinions of me, and I once again felt defeated. Although it wasn't much of a shock, I was disappointed that not even our teacher stood up for me.

“Well, if that's how you all feel. I hope you all have fun choosing your terrible songs without the aid of my professional opinion. If you'll all excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now.” I jumped up and out of chair in a dramatic fashion, and stormed out of the glee club choir room, trying to keep my emotions bottled up. The day: Monday. Only four more days to endure.

...GLEE.

Though this wasn't the first time that I had thrown a so called 'diva-fit', it is in fact the first time that I have left school grounds following said storm out. I wasn't one to pull acts of delinquency; when things weren't exactly going my way, I would leave the glee choir room and head immediately for the library.

The library itself and its calming atmosphere helped to clear my head, and go through step by step what lead to me rushing out of the choir room in the first place. This time, however. This time was different. Upon my exit, I headed for home immediately. After everything that had been said by the glee club members, I couldn't bare the embarrassment of running into one of them in the hallway. The fact that they could say all of these things to me was just something that I could not comprehend. Had they been thinking all of these things the whole time I was in the club? Were they all just waiting for the day that they could tell me what they really thought of me? Not one bit of it was fair. How dare they gang up on me like that. Why couldn't they just see that I was the glue that was holding them together?

All of it was just too much. I wasn't going to let them deter me from my path to stardom, not for a second. It was at that moment that I decided to put the events of the day behind me, and focus entirely on my future on Broadway. Taking a deep breath, I entered my house, praying that Dad and Daddy would be at work. Though both of them frowned deeply at absenteeism I knew that given the current situation I would be allowed a free pass. I shut the door quietly and crept towards the stairs, almost home free until-

“Rachel, sweetie, what are you doing home? School doesn't end for another two hours.”

I sighed softly to myself and straightened my posture, preparing myself to face my fathers. I knew I couldn't possibly lie to them, but telling the truth would hurt too much. 

“Hello Dad, hello Daddy. Wonderful weather we're having, isn't it?”

Dad leaned forward in his recliner and clasped his hands in front of him. Daddy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Honey, would you like to explain to us why you aren't in school?” Well, no, I really didn't, but they weren't giving me much of a choice.

“I just...wasn't feeling well, that's all. I figured that it would be best to simply walk home, as opposed to having the school nurse call both of you and interrupt whatever it is you were doing at the time.”

Dad leaned back in his chair and smiled softly. “I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, Rachel. But I want you to know that anything that concerns the health of our baby girl will never, ever be an inconvenience. Head up to your room and lie down now, alright?”

Daddy and Dad smiled knowingly at each other as I headed upstairs, thoughts of burying myself in my comforter swarming through my mind. 

“I'll handle it this time.”

Not even a minute after I jumped beneath my covers, I heard a soft knock on my door. 

“Come in.” My voice was barely audible through my sniffles.  
Daddy walked through the door, shut it gently, and sat beside me.

“You want to tell me what really happened? I know that you weren't sick; with the amount of vitamins that you take daily, coupled with your strict diet regimen and vigorous work out schedule, any sickness would be a fool to try and come knocking at your door.”

I laughed softly and sniffled once more. 

“It was just...school. Glee club, more specifically. Today's practice didn't exactly go the way that I thought it would.”

Daddy took my hand in his and nodded for me to continue on.

“They hate me, Daddy. Every single one of them has nothing but contempt for me. All I wanted to do was share my song ideas, because I know that I chose only winning song selections, but none of them would listen to me, even Mr. Schuester, our teacher, for crying out loud, would not listen to me, and then Finn smiled at me, but didn't stand up for me, and then I saw something in Quinn's eyes that wasn't her normal show of disgust, and don't even get me started on Santana-”

“Breathe, baby girl, breathe. Just take it easy.”

“It's just...they're the closest things that I have to friends, Daddy. And to find out that they all secretly hate me...it was just too much.”

Daddy smiled softly and brushed a fallen piece of hair out of my eyes.

“Rachel, I know that you think this might be the end of the world, but I don't really think that it's as bad as you make it out to be.”

Upon seeing that I was prepared to argue heatedly, he put his hands up in mock surrender. 

“Just hear me out, alright? You, my darling daughter, are a natural born performer. You know what songs sound good, you know exactly which emotions to put into which song, and you know how to please a crowd. Glee club really is perfect for you. But you see, that's just the thing. It's a club, with numerous people trying to act on their dreams of performing. Each person in that club wants their voice to be heard. Though I have no doubt that the songs that you chose are perfect, sometimes you have to let others have their turn as well. I don't for a second believe that any one of them hates you, Rachel. I believe that in itself is an impossibility. I just think that you need to stop and listen, and allow them their time to shine.” 

With that being said, Daddy leaned down and kissed my forehead softly, and left the room. Everything that he had said to me made sense. I just didn't know that everyone would take my taking charge so personally. All I wanted to do was help, and I thought that they knew it. Well, it was comforting to think that they didn't really hate me, and that they just wanted their voices to be heard. With these thoughts swimming around in my head, I was suddenly very excited for tomorrow's glee club meeting. 

...GLEE.

 

Tuesday morning arrived quickly, and I hopped out of bed at my normal hour of 6:00am, and headed straight towards the elliptical machine. In my head, I rehearsed over and over again the speech that I had prepared for the glee club. I would explain to them that though I was in fact the best performer in the club, I had no issue with occasionally sharing the stage with them. After all, it was most of them who needed the practice; my vocals were near flawless. Yes, I was sure that after I had explained to them that it was a simple misunderstanding, we would all be on the same page once more, on our way to victory.

Upon arriving at school, I was all smiles as I made my way happily down the hallways. I smiled brightly and nodded hello to everyone that passed by me. Yes, this was going to be a good day. A day of change.

My smile dropped immediately as I approached a wall comprised of the school's football team, blocking the entrance to the glee choir room. Each one of them had a predatory smile on their face, and a large cup in their hands. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the cups contained. That icy liquid and I had many intimate moments together, moments that I was hoping to avoid today.

“Listen, none of you have to do this. I understand the pressures that come with your popularity; I understand your need to flaunt your bravado any chance that you get. I also know that making others feel badly about themselves isn't going to make you better about you. Just let me through that door, and we can pretend this never happened, and you will all leave this situation more enlightened.”

One by one they turned to each other, looks of confusion etched upon their faces. Then, they turned to me, with all the timing of a professional synchronized swimming team, and showed me exactly what they thought about my speech. 

When it was all over, they spread apart and went their separate ways, smiles still on their faces. Lifting my hands slowly, I let the sticky liquid make its way down my arms, my mouth open to form a small 'o' of surprise. Before I really had a chance to react, I was pulled harshly into the girls locker room, and slammed against a nearby wall.

“Why the hell do you do this to yourself everyday? I just don't understand it. Just take a separate route and avoid them altogether! And what was with all that garbage you were spewing? Did you really think that you were going to miraculously change their ways with your over dramatic words?”

For a moment I thought that I had fallen and hit my head just a little too hard. Surely Quinn Fabray, the intelligent, athletic, and beautiful head cheerleader was not standing in front of me, both of her hands on my shoulders, her hazel eyes staring deeply into mine. Alright, maybe I did hit my head, but what was happening at this moment was most definitely not the product of a concussion. 

“Quinn, hello. What brings you to the girls' bathroom this bright afternoon?”

Quinn stared at me, her mouth opening and closing slowly (doing a flawless impression of a goldfish, might I add), as if she were grasping for the right words.

“You're a moron, you know that? You're a glutton for this crap. Why don't you try standing up for yourself for once, instead of letting the whole student body walk all over you? Jesus, Berry, I thought you were smarter than that. Now...just...stay out of my way!” 

With those words hanging in the air, Quinn gave once last final shove which caused me to gasp, and threw a bundle of paper towels at me before making her exit. Something...something very important had just happened, I could feel it. Though I was still very dazed from making contact with the wall, I could tell that something monumental has just occurred here in the girl's bathroom.

Quinn Fabray actually spoke to me, and, dare I say it (Oh, I think I dare!), showed a sliver of kindness to me in my moment of distress. Though her words were laced with sarcasm and bitterness, I could tell that underneath that hard steel exterior a part of her really did care about what happened to me that particular Tuesday morning. My mind running a mile a minute, I quickly cleaned myself off and made my way to the choir room. 

When I entered the room, the loud buzz of many conversations going at once assaulted my ears. I looked around and noticed that my usual seat was taken, so I sat in the front row, the seat right in front of Quinn's. As I made my way to the chair, I tried to meet Quinn's eyes to convey my thanks, but she was looking in nearly every direction but my own. Sighing softly, I gave up trying to telepathically get her attention and took my seat. A moment after, Mr. Schuester came in, waving his hands about to get our attention. Every word that was coming out of his mouth was foreign to me, all of my thoughts focusing around a certain blonde cheerleader. I was so engrossed in the question of why Quinn would do such a thing in the girl's bathroom, a public place, where people could see that she was engaging in conversation with a person like me, that I completely forgot about the speech that I had prepared for everyone. Pushing it to the back of my mind, I made a mental note to speak about it tomorrow.

Right now my thoughts were completely and utterly focused on one Quinn Fabray, who clearly wasn't the person that she pretended to be. For a brief moment in time, she allowed her walls to drop, and gave me a glimpse of the person that she truly was. For a lack of better words, I found it to be...magnificent. 

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I barely registered the obnoxious snort that I head from behind me.

“Jesus Berry, why don't you eye fuck Quinn some more, I don't think they felt in China.” My eyes widened in shock as I realized the gravity of the situation; I had been so focused on figuring out my Quinn situation, that I hadn't realized I had been turned around this entire time, apparently staring her down. I immediately straightened up, grasping for words.

“I don't know what you're talking about, Santana. I was merely admiring the paint job that just happens to be stationed behind Quinn. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to be.” Before I was able to get up, I was shoved roughly back down into my seat. I let out a small yelp and met the furious hazel eyes before me.

“Keep it in your goddamn pants, Treasure Trail.”

With that said, both Cheerios shoved past me and exited the room. What...just happened?

Day: Tuesday. Only three more days to endure.

 

Tuesday came and went, and I had once again accomplished nothing. I was more confused than ever, but didn't feel like dwelling anymore. I smiled at my fathers and engaged in the appropriate conversation, and then went to my room and fell into a restless sleep, praying that tomorrow would bring with it some better luck. 

...GLEE.

Wednesday morning came, and I once again met the day with bright eyes and hope for a pleasant school day. I walked my normal route through the hallway, Quinn's harsh words echoing in my head. Fortunately for me, the foot ball team was nowhere to be found, but something still felt off. Not a day went by that I wasn't faced with some act of bullying, no matter large or small. 

My eyes shifted back and forth rapidly as I searched for something amiss. Everyone seemed to be focused on their own comings and goings, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something awful had happened. Shaking my head, I assured myself that I was just being silly, and letting the paranoia get to me. Moments later as I was approaching my locker, I knew that my earlier suspicions had been accurate.

My locker door was wide open, and the inside looked like a bomb had gone off. Papers were falling out of it, a result of someone tearing apart the books that I had stored inside. Pictures I had posted of myself and my idols were ripped in half, and painted on the inside were words concerning the sexuality of my fathers that are far too painful to repeat. I quickly pushed the tears aside and made my way towards Principal Figgins' office. This had to stop, all of it. 

I knocked loudly on his door, and entered before he had a chance to speak.

“This has got to stop, right this minute. The continual slushies, the horrible things they say behind my back, and now this.”

Principal Figgins sat at his desk, a deer caught in headlights expression on his face. 

“What exactly are you talking about, Miss Berry?”

I reeled on him quickly, anger and resentment marring my normal facade of happiness. 

“My locker. They tore apart my locker. They destroyed private property, and painted cruel words about my fathers, who are kind men, and did absolutely nothing to deserve this blatant show of ignorance!” 

Principal Figgins sat for a moment, a look of quiet contemplation on his face. 

“I would suggest perhaps investing in a stronger lock?”

It was at that precise moment that I realized that none of the authority figures in the school would be able to help me. They went about their day in a happy unknowing state, ignoring the pain emanating from the students around them. 

I swallowed a few times, my throat suddenly feeling as though it were full of cotton. I didn't remember it being this dry before.

“Unbelievable..just...unbelievable.” With that said, I rushed out his office, a feeling of absolute dread settling upon my shoulders. How was I to survive if I had no one there to help me? 

Day: Wednesday. Only two more days to endure. 

...GLEE.

Thursday came much too quickly for my liking, and I thought seriously on feigning sick. As much as I would have liked to hide in my room all day, I knew that I would have to face the world sooner or later. Rachel Berry was no coward. Although I had decided to go to school that morning, I skipped my normal routine, my body too drained for anything more than a quick shower. I avoided my fathers for fear that they would see something in my eyes that would tip them off. The last thing I wanted to do was worry them. I snuck down the stairs and out the door, and made my way towards school. 

This day seemed like a mirror image of all the others, only this time there were no slushies to greet me, and my locker was still intact. There were no football players standing guard, nor were there any students huddled together, sneaking glances and giggles at my expense. My classes flew by, and I was rather pleased with the lack of drama this day was providing. 

I stood before the door of the choir room, and took a deep breath before entering. Here goes...well, everything.

I entered and sat down, taking a chair in the front row. I even threw a cautious glance towards Quinn, one that was met with a shy smile, and a barely noticeable nod of the head. I smiled back and focused on Mr. Schuester, realizing that the clouds that were hanging over my head seemed to be clearing up quite nicely. 

The rest of the practice went on without a hitch. I spoke up only to give my input, and kept the complaining to a minimum. There were no rude glaces thrown my way that day, only looks of shock. To this reaction I merely smiled, and went back to engaging in conversation, without taking over. 

The meeting finally ended, everyone going off in different directions. I stepped out of the choir room and stopped when I noticed Quinn bent over at the water fountain. I guess I let my gaze linger for too long, because someone behind me cleared their throat. Standing behind me was a beast of a boy, a football player by the name of Karofsky. I glanced at him warily, and looked back over to where Quinn was originally standing, now seeing nothing but her absence. 

“What can I do for you, David? Would you like me to stand here while you douse me in ice cold slushies? Or perhaps you'd like me to stand here at attention, while you throw your nasty remarks at me to make yourself feel better. Is that what you want, David? Is that what you-”

I was interrupted when he let out a snarl that more animal than man.

“You think people don't see what you're doing? They way you stare at her? You're disgusting. We don't want your kind here.”

I blinked rapidly at him, my show of courage taking a hit. Caught off guard? Absolutely. 

“I don't have time for this, David. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to, matters that do not include the likes of you.”

I turned on my heels and prepared to rush away, but his laughter kept me firmly planted. It wasn't a laugh of good old fashioned humor; it was a laugh that was laced in malice.

“You're just as bad as that fag in your club. Is that what glee club is about? Bringing out your inner gay? Everyone sees the way you stare at her, and it's disgusting. She'll never want you. You're just trash beneath her feet. I guess your dads rubbed off on you, didn't they?”

With an ugly sneer, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, a million and one emotions rushing through me. 

Day: Thursday. Only one more day left in hell. 

...GLEE.

 

After my encounter with David Karofsky, I realized that I couldn't take it anymore. It was just too much, and clearly I wasn't as strong as I had once thought I was. I had finally reached my breaking point. I went to my fathers and told them everything that had happened over the last few days, and they looked at me knowingly, the love pouring off of them almost overwhelming. I told them that I couldn't possibly go back to school, that it was wearing on me physically, mentally, and emotionally. They pulled me in to a tight hug, and told me not to worry, because they had it all figured out. 

Exhaustion taking over, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, dreaming of new beginnings.

It was early the next day that my fathers told me of their plan. At first, I didn't quite know what to say; it all seemed surreal, and completely life altering. I felt myself about to protest, and then realized...what exactly was the point? Why should I fight this Why should I fight to stay in a school that had only beat me down, day after day? These thoughts swarming in my head, my decision was made.

I glanced down at the pamphlet that they had given me, realizing that this was the start of my brand new life.

“Dalton Academy for Girls”

New life, meet Rachel Berry. Rachel Berry, meet new life. I'm sure you'll get along fabulously. 

...GLEE.

The next day, the usual chatter went on interrupted in the choir room, and only one member of the club realized that something was missing. She kept this to herself, hoping that she was wrong, and that said missing thing would come waltzing into the room any second now. That second never came. She met her teacher's eyes and knew that he was about to say something, something that she wasn't going to like.

“Okay guys, listen up! I'm afraid I have some bad news for all of you. It seems that we're going to be losing a member of our little family here. It saddens me to tell you all that Rachel has decided to transfer schools.”

The reactions from the club members varied, most of them hadn't seen it coming. One particular blonde in the back of the room had seen this in the works, and hid her reaction well. She had shared with the small brunette glimpses of her anger, glimpses of her compassion; if she was in the room right now, she would seem glimpses of her pain as well. 

...GLEE.

 

I read through the pamphlet at least a dozen or more times, so much that Daddy had taken it away with a slight chuckle.

“You'll be fiiiine. Stop worrying so much.”

I rolled my eyes in response to this, and settled back into my seat. As the car started up, I could feel the excitement growing within me. This was it. This was my chance to start over, and jump back on track to my future as a star. I would leave McKinley High in the past, and move forward towards a bright future.

The car ride was long, and ended just before Daddy gave way to some kind of stroke. It really wasn't my fault that I was so excited, and just couldn't stop talking the entire way there. I felt the car come to a stop, and ceased speaking at once. I stared up at the building before us in awe. It was beautiful. I hadn't stepped inside, and yet I could feel that this was already my home. Before I was able to speak another word, I noticed a person rushing towards the car. All three of us stepped outside, and were met by a tall blonde girl who was smiling widely, though she was very much out of breath. I smiled at her, and prepared to introduce myself, but she spoke before I was able to inhale.

“Hi! My name is Brittany S. Pierce! Welcome to Dalton Academy for Girls!”


	2. [Quinn POV]

Quinn POV

 

A part of me still couldn't believe her nerve. Who did she think she was, just leaving us like that? I think the most infuriating part is that none of us saw this coming. It was a shock to all of us, even Mr. Schuester. Day after day she showed up to glee club, wearing those stupid sweaters and that stupid smile on her face. She stood in front of us in typical dictator fashion, telling us all exactly what we were doing wrong. And then bam. Just like that, she's gone, without any warning. 

Another part of me just couldn't wrap my mind around how I didn't see this coming. I knew of the issues with the football players, I was front and center for that little show. I had heard in passing about the locker incident, but I didn't think it was as serious as she had made it out to be. This is high school, for god's sake. Crap like that happens all the time. 

Though Berry was annoying to the max, I never took her to be a dumb person. I tried to get my point across in the girl's bathroom, but I could tell that she wasn't listening to me. Her attention was clearly elsewhere, even when I decided to get a bit rough. I could not for the life of me understand why someone so smart could just let people walk all over her like she was their goddamn welcome mat. I dealt with enough of that through the years, and I knew how it felt. The difference between she and I? I decided to change everything. I fought back, for myself. Why the hell couldn't she do the same?

I was risking a lot by pulling her aside for our little chat, that was for damn sure. The rules of high school were put firmly in place for a reason, as much as I didn't like it. I was on top, and she was at the bottom. I worked hard to get to where I was, and she...well, all she really had to do was be herself, and the spot on the bottom of the totem pole was reserved especially for her. But she couldn't see that it could be changed. All she had to do was fight back for her pathetic existence, but I guess in the end it wasn't worth fighting for, and she decided that running away was the only solution. 

I sat there in the back of the room, my brow uncharacteristically in flux. I was trying my best to hide my confusion, but I guess I wasn't doing such a good job given the look that Santana was currently throwing my way. 

“Q, what is your trauma? The hobbit is finally gone, we should totes be celebrating.”

I turned to her and smiled softly, nodding my head. 

“No more lectures, no more having to avert my eyes from her hideous clothing.”

She laughed loudly and clapped me on the back. “Exactly! Shit, I knew today was going to be awesome.” She resumed her previous position of slouching back, the smile on her face impossibly wide.

I could tell by the rapid whispering throughout the room that every one else was just as confused as me. Rachel Berry was gone, and she wasn't coming back. Rachel Berry was no longer going to be front and center, trying to control the glee club's every move. Some people were smiling, while others didn't seem so giddy about the sudden news. She was annoyingly self centered, but the girl could sing. I hated to admit it, but she was incredibly talented; it kills me to say that she was probably the best singer in our entire group (though I'd never tell her that). And now, not only had we lost our best chance of winning, but we were also down a member. Anyone who joined glee club might as well have a giant target painted on their back, and everyone knew it. It explained why people never voluntarily signed up to join us. 

I had my own reasons for joining glee club, and contrary to popular belief, it wasn't all about Finn Hudson. A part of me did it to watch over Finn and Rachel, to make sure they weren't getting close. After realizing that Rachel had her own plans that involved only her path to becoming a star, I began to relax a little, and enjoy glee club for what it was. 

I loved the Cheerios, and I loved being the Captain of the squad, but a little secret of mine? I loved singing even more. So yeah, I pretended that it was all in the name of taking down Rachel Berry, but really it was only a ploy to distract people from my obvious happiness I gained from singing. It sounds stupid, I know. But Quinn Fabray is not allowed to be happy. It's like a general rule of the universe. I am allowed to be an angry, jealous bitch, and I am allowed to tear down those around me, but I cannot for one second show a bit of happiness. 

I sat in the back of the room, glowering down at all the others. Without Rachel in the group, there would be no reason for me to stay in glee club. I'm sure that very soon Santana and coach Sylvester would start questioning why I was still there. After all, Rachel was gone! Finn was safely in my corner, and I should go back to being the best HBIC that I could be. It wasn't fair. I didn't want to leave. I growled angrily to myself and raised my hand. Mr. Schuester glanced up at me warily, and motioned for me to speak.

“Mr. Schuester, do you happen to know where Rachel transferred to?”

He looked at me for a minute before shaking his head. “I'm sorry Quinn, but that information wasn't given to me. I think that Rachel and her fathers wanted it to be kept confidential. May I ask why you're so curious?”

I sighed softly before mustering the best sneer that I could. 

“Oh, I don't know. I was thinking about dropping in to say hello (Jesus, the look Santana was giving me-it's like I had just sprouted another head), maybe bring a slushy to an old...friend.”

Santana laughed loudly and turned to give me a fist bump, which I of course returned. 

Mr. Schuester gave an agitated sigh before turning back to the other members. I met Finn's eyes and smiled at him, but he didn't return it. Whatever. He was the least of my worries right now. 

As I sat there in the back with Santana, feeling the joy emanating off of her, I felt my anger growing by the second.

How dare Rachel just leave like that! Didn't she know that she was ruining my highly thought out plan? How dare she not even say good bye to us! Wait...what the hell was that? Why would I care if Rachel said goodbye? After a momentary lapse in sanity, I went back to cursing her name for ruining my plan. Yes...that's why I was furious with her. Because of her, I'd have to leave glee club, and that's why I was so angry. 

If that was the reason I was so angry...then how come deep down inside, I didn't for one second believe it?


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel POV

I had finally arrived! I had left my life at McKinley High school far behind me, and there was no way I would be going back. I glanced at the girl who had approached us, her smile taking up her entire face. I looked at her closely; there were no signs of hostility, only a raw honesty about her that I found refreshing. If I had ever had doubts about this school, they were wiped away immediately after this incredibly enthusiastic girl had introduced herself. 

“Hello to you too. My name is Rachel Berry, and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance!”

I thrust out my hand to her excitedly, and gasped loudly when she grabbed my hand and pulled me to her chest, in a very tight embrace. My eyes widened immediately at this blatant show of affection (no such thing would ever occur at McKinley, let me assure you), but I returned her hug with just as much fervor.

I parted from Brittany, my smile still present. I opened my mouth to speak, but was once again interrupted when Brittany launched herself at my fathers, wrapping them up in the same manner she had me. I had to stifle a small giggle as both men looked incredibly uncomfortable.

“Oh, hello to you too, Brittany. It's nice to see that our daughter will be living with such a kind person.”

Brittany released my father, her smile never faltering. 

“Yeah! It's going to be great! Rach and I are like totally gonna be roommates, and have a super duper amount of fun!”

My fathers chuckled, and I had to turn my head to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. This person who I just met wanted to be my friend. This person who knew nothing about me was excited to meet me, and was already making plans for the two of us. It was certainly unexpected, but managed to touch me deeply, so much that I could barely hide my emotions. Daddy's voice knocked me out of my reverie, and I turned to them hoping that they wouldn't notice my near break down.

“Remember to call us everyday, to let us know how you're getting along. Try your best to eat properly, and oh! Remember to study! But don't work yourself too hard now!”

I gave both Dad and Daddy a hug that could rival Brittany's, told them to stop worrying so much, and then turned to her expectantly when they drove away.

“This is going to be so much fun, Rach. I have so much planned for us! So like, what do you do for fun? I like to dance, and I like to hang out with my bestie. She and I feed the ducks like all the time, and it's totally awesome. She's also trying to teach me Spanish, which I tell her is probably a bad idea, cause I'm not so great with English, but she tells me I can do anything that I put my mind to. Hey! Maybe you could come with us! Do you have a best friend who would want to come too?”

The innocence that I saw in her eyes almost made me break down again, but fortunately I kept the tears at bay. How could I tell her that I had no friends? How could I tell her that no one would ever give me the time of day? How could I explain to her that I had no one to share inside jokes with, no one to laugh at my corny jokes while I laughed at theirs? I cleared my throat and stood up straight.

“I...well you see, I don't really have any friends, let alone a best friend. But that's okay, because really I should be focusing entirely on my future as a star, and friends would only prove to be a burden, and get in the way, and furthermore-”

And there it was again. That bone crushing hug that I'm quite sure I could get used to.

“It's okay Rachel. I'll be your best friend. It's okay to have more than one best friend, right? I hope I'm not breaking any of the rules in the best friend handbook. I don't think that she'd mind. She's really really sweet, and you guys could totally be friends too!”

It was impossible not to smile back when Brittany smiled at you. In fact, I was almost positive that it was going to be a cardinal rule at this school. She even mentioned another person who would potentially join my small list of friends. Needless to say, I felt like I was on top of the world. 

“Your friend sounds very kind, Brittany. I look forward to meeting her.”

I allowed Brittany to link my arm in hers, which was a difficult task given the extreme difference in height, but we managed to make it work. She led me into the large building, talking my ear off about all of the clubs that the school had to offer. She told me about the teachers, and how some of them were old and mean, and just didn't understand the art of interpretive dance. Her argument was that some math problems could only be worked out in such a way. She said that the food was decent, and the mashed potatoes were excellent building material for castles, but she still had problems building the moat; apparently the gravy wasn't nearly as cooperative. 

I paused to take in everything that she was telling me, and let my eyes take a minute to wander over the student body. Everyone seemed so close. Many girls appeared to be using tactics on one another that I had seen used by the football players on unsuspecting Cheerios. Some girls were holding hands with others, and not one passerby shot them a dirty look. So that kind of thing was not frowned upon here? This school couldn't possibly get any better. As the daughter of two homosexual men, it was important to me that the people that I kept company with were open and understanding to such relationships. 

I looked to Brittany and remembered how kindly she took to both of my fathers. She never once questioned it. As I stood there thinking to myself, I failed to notice that Brittany had once again grabbed my hand. She pulled me over to a table, and smiled expectantly.

“How are you liking it so far? I think that the chairs here are super comfy, and the twirly staircases are fun to slide down.”

I smiled at her and nodded.

“Yes, the chairs are quite nice, aren't they? Brittany, I have a question for you, and I hope that I in no way offend you. A lot of the girls here seem particularly close. Is most of the student body...what I mean to say is, are they...It's just that-”

Fortunately for my sake, Brittany gently placed her hand over my mouth, and smiled at me.

“Oh! You mean like sharks and dolphins? Well, I'm totally a dolphin, like a bunch of the girls here, but there's also a lot of sharks, too. You have a dolphin vibe around you, did you know that?”

In all honesty, I hadn't understood a single thing she had said to me, but I nodded anyway.

“It really is fascinating to see a school so accepting. The school that I originally came from...well, let's just say they weren't very understanding of many things.”

For the first time since our introduction, I saw the smile drop from Brittany's face, and morph into the most saddening expression I have ever seen. Her mouth turned upside down, and her bright blue eyes started to water.

“I'm so sorry that they were mean to you, Rach. I don't understand why they would be so mean to someone so nice. They must not have been hugged enough when they were little.”

I reached across the table and gave her arm a little squeeze. “Hey now, don't be sad. It may not have ended well, but because of it, you and I became friends.”

She brightened up immediately, and- yes, you guessed it- reached over and gave me a hug. 

“So, Brittany. You asked me earlier what I like to do. I believe that it is my destiny to become a star, and eventually sing on a great stage, while thousands of people applaud for me. I was the star of my previous high school's glee club. They just never appreciated my talent, and everything that I could bring to the table.”

I paused a minute to take a sip of the water I was currently drinking, and spit it out after realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Glee Club. I didn't research the school before it was chosen, and I had no idea as to whether the school had its own choir! I looked around frantically, jumping into full panic mode.

“Brittany. Please please please tell me that this school has a glee club. I just don't know what I'll do if they don't. What will happen to me if I'm not able to practice everyday, in front of other people to showcase my talent? What will happen to my voice if I suddenly stop using it as often as I had before? What will happen if-”

I paused and clutched at my chest, lack of oxygen finally taking its toll. 

“Rach, do you need a doctor? Your eyes were popping out really funny for a second there, and your voice was getting all high pitched and stuff. We do have a glee club, and they're holding auditions soon. I'm in it, and it's great. You should totally join too!”

I collapsed back in my chair as I felt the relief wash over me. They had a glee club. Everything was going to be all right. For a moment there, the only thing circulating my mind was McKinley High School. Glee club was everything to me. Essentially, it was one of the stepping stones to my dream of becoming a real star. I needed glee club like I needed oxygen. If I had been unfortunate enough that this school was lacking something so vital to my mere existence...well, let's just say I didn't really want to think about it. Going back to McKinley had seemed out of the question, but without a glee club, the real Rachel Berry ceased to exist.

I looked up at Brittany and gave her two thumbs up, letting her know that though I had been mere seconds away from passing out, I was back to being just fine and dandy. 

“I'd like to know more about your glee club, if that's alright? Who is the captain, how many members, what the glee club teacher is like. Those sort of things.”

Brittany paused a moment, appearing lost in thought. 

“Well, our teacher's name is Miss Summers. She's really great. She let's us choose what songs we want to sing. Everyone gets their song chosen eventually, and we all have a lot of fun with it. Our captain's name is Hadley Wilde. She's also the captain of the cheer leading team, which I'm also on. Oh! Did you wanna be a cheerleader too, Rachel?”

My eyes widened at this suggestion. Me? A cheerleader? The idea was laughable. If the kids at McKinley could only hear this conversation...But then again, I kept forgetting that this wasn't McKinley. At this school, I could be myself one hundred percent, and fear no persecution. Maybe my destiny wasn't to be on a great stage. Maybe I was to head the world's top ranked cheer leading team!

Note to self: lack of oxygen does strange things to a person's mind.

“No, Brittany. Thank you for offering, I appreciate it very much. I'm mostly interested in your glee club, and its captain. Her name was Hadley, correct?”

Brittany nodded vigorously. “Yeah, that's her name. She's a really nice person. Did you want to meet her? I think that's her coming our way now. Oh, and that's the co-captain of the cheer leaders and the glee club, Cameron.”

I looked up, and the first thoughts to enter my mind were that Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez had transferred to Dalton to make my life a living hell. Really, they were very dedicated to the position of 'Personal Tormentors of Rachel Berry'. Upon closer analysis, I realized that though Quinn and this girl were very similar in appearance, Quinn Fabray was most likely in class right now, filing her perfect nails. Santana...well, I tried not to think about what she was currently doing. I was a firm believer that thinking her name three times would only bring about disaster.

The first thing that set Quinn and Hadley apart was the smile. Though Quinn was a very pretty girl with a face that was quite memorable, she wasn't known for showing cheer. The girl that resembled Santana, well she...oh no...and there it was. Three times! I immediately covered my head with my hands, preparing for the worst. I sighed softly when nothing happened, ignoring the queer look that Brittany was sending my way. 

Anyway, back to the look-a-likes. When Hadley stepped closer, I noticed that her eyes were in fact blue, a color so rich that it rivaled the green eyes of Quinn Fabray. This girl also appeared to be a little shorter, but just as fit. Her hair was lighter than Quinn's but pulled back in the same tight pony tail. 

The two girls sauntered up to us, smiles in place. Both of them were clad in their black and red cheer leading uniforms, making them look no less threatening than Sue Sylvester's Cheerios.

“Hello, My name is Hadley Wilde, and it's really great to finally meet the new student.” She put out her hand in a very un-Quinn-like fashion, and I took it gently.

The she-who-will-not-be-named lookalike stepped forward, and offered her hand as well. 

“Hi! My name is Cameron Ramirez. How do you like our school so far?” 

Once again upon closer inspection, I realized that this girl didn't look much like San- you know who I mean.

Her skin tone was a shade lighter, and her eyes were a blue so light, they appeared to be gray. She too had her hair pulled back into a tight pony tail, a feature I immediately used to categorize cheer leaders. 

Both of these girls had a kindness in their eyes that the other two had lacked. Though their features were quite similar, they seemed to have more going for them in the personality department. 

“Your school is beautiful, and I'm very happy to be here. So, Hadley. I heard from Brittany that you're the captain of the school's glee club? I'm very interested in joining, and if you don't mind my saying, giving you a run for your money.”

I expected some sort of brash reaction from the girl. My filter had once again turned off, and I had said more than I had wanted to. Don't get me wrong- I fully intended on telling her that I would eventually be the captain of the glee club, whether she liked it or not. I just didn't plan on it happening the second we met. Truth be told, I expected a slushy to come flying at me the instant those words left my mouth, and braced myself for the icy shower. What I got was certainly not what I expected. 

Instead of a makeshift shower right there in the middle of the hallway, I was met with the sound of her soft laughter. 

Bells. Her laughter reminded me of soft bells, blowing in the wind.

I opened my eyes to see if this was some sort of practical joke, but she was standing before me, her hand covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh.

“Oh, Rachel. You're really cute, you know that? I'm glad you're going to try for captain, really, I am. It'll definitely bring some excitement to this place!”

With that said, she took my hand and kissed the back of it gently, and turned to walk away.

“Challenge accepted.”

Cameron turned to Brittany and winked.

“It was good seeing you again, Brittany.”

When the two of them were gone, I turned to Brittany, my mouth still hanging open in surprise. Now, let me explain something to you. Dating, and all of the steps that lead up to an actual partnership, are a huge mystery to me. I've never flirted with anyone (at least not that I'm aware of) and no one has ever flirted with me. I once thought that Finn Hudson had been winking at me, but it turned out that a piece of dust had flown into his eye. But if I was not mistaken...I think that Hadley Wilde had just flirted with me.

Needless to say, I was left in a state of shock when the two girls were gone. 

I looked to Brittany to see if she was in a state mirroring my own. To my surprise, Brittany once again looked downcast, and slightly uncomfortable. I gently put my hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hey...are you alright? Do you need me to get anything for you?”

Brittany looked down at me, and smiled softly. The smile she gave me just about broke my heart, because it in no way reached her eyes.

“I'm okay, Rach. Thanks for asking. It's just that Cameron...she kinda says and does things that I think she shouldn't. She's really nice and all, but I have to keep turning her down. She doesn't really know when to give up, ya know?”

I really didn't know. I never had the sort of problem where people were clamoring to get my attention. Though I couldn't nod my head in agreement, I knew that this girl was making Brittany uncomfortable, and that was something that I would put a stop to if Brittany ever said the word. The loyalty that I felt to this girl whom I had just met was slightly overwhelming. I never had a friend to stick up for, but now that I did, I would do whatever I had to do to stick up for her in times of distress. 

Knowing that Brittany probably needed a change of scenery to cheer her up, I suggested that we go to our rooms and get settled, and she happily obliged. 

She was right. The spiral staircase was very nice. I could see why she liked it so much. Though I hadn't seen all of the school yet, what I had seen so far proved to be beautiful. Whoever designed the building took their time on every detail down to the smallest carving in the arm rail. 

When we reached the top, we were met with a long hallway that housed several doors. She led me to the very end, and opened a door marked “207.” 

“This is our room. I have a key made for you already, so don't worry about that. That room across from ours is Hadley and Cameron's. Just, you know, so you know. This building we're in right now is one of the dormitories that this school has. All of the class rooms are in a separate building as well. Don't worry though, I'll be there to show you around.”

I glanced at the room across from ours briefly, expecting it to pop open at any second. When it remained shut, I followed Brittany inside and closed the door behind us.

The first thought to enter my head was...wow. Brittany's color scheme was certainly unique. Upon entering, my eyes were assaulted by the brightest colors of the spectrum. Bright splotches of orange, yellow, lime green, and pink adorned her walls. Her bed was messy, but looked comfortable. Magazines were scattered across the floor, and posters of people in various dancing positions were on the ceiling. The mirror stand that was beside her bed was full of pictures, and I couldn't stop myself from stepping forward to take a look. 

I expected to see a lot of pictures with Brittany and her family members, but the majority of them were of a cat. An incredibly fat cat.

“Oh! That's Lord Tubbington! Isn't he just the cutest cat ever? I wasn't allowed to bring him with me, and it made me really sad. I call him everyday though, just to make sure he's doing okay.”

I looked up at Brittany, doing my best to smile back. This cat...was enormous. She must have been feeding him human food. No cat could possibly get that large from off the shelf kitty food. I looked around her pictures some more, my amusement growing. There was Brittany with her cat at the beach. There was Brittany with him in a hot tub. The pictures of her cat seemed endless...until...wait? There was one with another person in it. 

I looked down and gently touched the picture that was encased in glass, with a thick frame surrounding it. The picture was of Brittany and a girl with dark hair. I couldn't make out her features because her head was currently buried in Brittany's chest, as if trying to avoid the camera all together. I thought that perhaps the girl was upset, and Brittany was trying to console her, but upon closer inspection I noticed the small smile that she didn't manage to hide.

I heard a soft sigh behind me and turned to see Brittany standing there, a content smile on her face.

“Is that your best friend?”

She nodded softly and picked the picture up, lightly tracing the edges.

 

“I remember this day. We had just left the lake house that my parents make us go to every year. She had just woken up, and was complaining of bad hair and bags under her eyes. She's not very good with mornings, so I try to be extra cheery for the both of us.”

Still smiling, Brittany put the picture down softly, as if it were made of gold. 

“She seems like an interesting person. What's her name? I feel it inappropriate to refer to her as just your best friend, when I'm sure she has a perfectly nice name.”

Before Brittany had a chance to answer, her phone went off, blaring the song 'Under The Sea' from 'The Little Mermaid.'

“Oh, shoot. It's my mom. I forgot to call Lord Tubbington today, and I bet he's throwing a tantrum. I'll be right back, Rach.” With that said, she left the room, and left me to my thoughts.

This was it. My new home. I may have been slightly over dramatic in saying so, but...I felt as though it always had been. This was where I belonged.

...GLEE.

 

Quinn POV

That was it. The end of my life as I knew it. I guess I had a good run. There were some things I would have done differently but at least I tried my best. 

The little outburst that I'm now referring to as the 'RB' incident occurred just as the glee club meeting was about to end. We all sat there looking like robots as Mr. Schuester was going on and on about getting to know each other better. 

“Come on, guys! This assignment will be great for all of you. Think of how much you can learn about your partner if you just try.”

I rolled my eyes and stopped paying attention. This was another of his lame attempts to get us all to bond more. Frankly, I think he just wanted an excuse to use his hat again. As I scanned the crowd of glee club kids, I felt a sharp poke to my side. I turned angrily to face Santana, who was sitting there looking slightly confused.

“Hey Q? You ever get the feeling that someone's talking about you? Like you get this little tickle in the back of your throat, and you can just tell that someone is running their mouth?”

I looked at her for a minute before turning away, shaking my head. She went back to her slouched position, mumbling incoherent words, and something that sounded like 'bitches best nots be running their mouths.' 

I had been so engrossed in not paying attention, that I failed to hear my name being called to the front of the room. Yay, the pairing hat. Which loser did I have to waste my time on this week.

I walked up the hat and roughly put my hand in, feeling around. I pulled up the little piece of paper and groaned loudly.

“Puckerman.”

I heard cheering from the back of the room, and rolled my eyes once more.

“Okay guys, you all have your partners! Now, I want you all to pair up, and talk about the assignment.”

I glared in Puck's direction before taking the seat beside him. 

“Alright. Let's get this over with quickly.”

He waggled his eye brows suggestively before looking me up and down.

“Finally, an assignment in glee club that I can get down with.”

I glared and shook my head. Somewhere in the back of the classroom, I heard Santana's obnoxious laugh, and a snort of “We can work on the project when you roll your ass up these stairs, Stubbles.”

I smirked at her remark before tuning back to Puckerman.

“Alright. I think I know your main personality traits. You're a pervert. You're full of yourself. You pretty much think you're god's gift to women, which, by the way? Get over yourself. How am I doing so far?”

The downcast look on Puck's face told me exactly how he felt about my little speech. 

“That's harsh, Fabray. Really fucked up. There's a lot more to the Puckerman than meets the eye.”

I scoffed loudly before shooting him an incredulous look.

“Right. I'm sure there's more to you than just your shallow, man-whorish ways.”

For nearly a minute, the tension was so thick that it could be sliced with a knife. And then? Well, let's just say I don't like thinking about it too much.

After Puck and I sat there staring at one another, he jumped up so quickly that he knocked his chair back, and it clattered to the ground loudly.

“You don't know shit about me, Fabray. You know what? Screw this. I'm out of here.”

I mentally cringed at his outburst, and then brought my hand to my face in realization. Puck...was leaving. Something about this knowledge hit me deeply, and I couldn't contain the strangled cry that left my body.

“Noah, get back here. We aren't finished. I refuse to fail because of your stupidity.”

He growled once more before reaching for the door handle.

“I don't have to do shit. I'm. Leaving.”

At this point, Mr. Schuester looked about ready to flee the room for safety.

“You aren't leaving. Get back here and sit down!”

Once I saw that he had no intention of stopping, something inside of me snapped. 

I clenched my hands together so tightly that my knuckles turned white, but I didn't notice. I was overflowing with so much emotion that everything seemed to fade out. And then, those fateful words.

“You can't just leave people like that, Rachel!”

I swear to god, you could hear a pin drop due to the silence that ensued. 

Pausing to take in the severity of my situation, I quickly glanced around at the glee club members. Most of them were in such a state of shock that they had forgotten to close their mouths after their jaws had hit the ground. Santana had her patented 'what the fuck' face on, and was motioning to me with her hands in the air, like 'what the hell are you on?”

I looked away from everyone, muttering a barely audible 'I have to leave', before storming out and heading towards the exit. I moved as quickly as my legs would allow me to, without breaking into an all out sprint. I was almost home free when a voice behind me caught my attention. 

“Quinn! Hey, wait, Quinn. I'd like to speak to you.”

I turned around quickly to see none other than our teacher, hunched over trying to catch his breath.

“Listen, Quinn. I know you don't want to talk about this, and certainly not to me. But you know...it's okay to miss Rachel. I'm sure that every person in that room misses Rachel just as much as you do, but they're too scared to voice it.”

I looked at the ground, doing my best to avoid eye contact.

“I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Schue. Why would I miss Rachel? I'm glad she's gone.”

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn't fully believe it, and frankly, neither did I. But he didn't need to know that.

“I know this is hard, Quinn. I know that you and Rachel didn't always get along, but it's okay to miss her. Hey, I know. Why don't you try writing her a letter, just to remind her that she's still in our thoughts? You can give it to Miss Pillsbury, and I'm sure she'll have it sent to Rachel.”

I stared at him, mouth agape. Actually contacting Rachel Berry had not once crossed my mind. 

“No thank you, Mr. Schue. Why don't you have Santana write it? I'm sure she'll have some fantastic things to say.” With that said, I turned around, narrowly avoiding the disappointed look in his eyes.

...GLEE

When I arrived home, the only thing on my mind was the incident in glee club. More specifically, Rachel Berry was on my mind. If I had taken his insane advice and actually wrote her a letter, what would I say? I had no idea where to even begin with such a thing.

I sat down on my bed and rifled through my backpack for a notebook. Getting settled into my covers, I grabbed a pen and put it to my lips, deep in thought. After a minute of thinking, I began to write.

'Rachel Berry, I hate you. Rachel Berry, you suck. Man-Hands, I'm glad you're gone.'

With a disgruntled sigh, I crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it across the room, and drew out a new sheet. 

'Rachel Berry, why did you leave?'

Crumple, toss.

'I really miss you, Rachel Berry.'

...GLEE!


	4. Chapter 4

While Brittany was away discussing important matters with her cat, I decided that it was time to make my room truly mine. I went about setting things up to match the way I had them home, simply to provide a measure of comfort. I knew it wouldn’t be the same of course, given the fact that Dad and Daddy weren't here, but I figured that this was a start to making my room feel like a second home. Just as I was done putting on the finishing touches, Brittany walked in, a small smile on her face.

“How did everything go? I take it Lord Tubbington is doing well?”

She nodded and tossed her phone to the bed.

“Yeah. He was just really sad because I forgot to call him. I told him it was 'cause I was really excited about having a new roommate, and he sounded happy for me.”

I stared at her blankly, and then gave her a wide smile. Though I was starting to get used to Brittany's rather random and odd comments and behavior, she still managed to catch me off guard. Before I was able to respond, she let out a loud squeal and hopped out of the bed.

“Rachel. Your side looks awesome!”

I clasped my hands together and watched as Brittany walked around my side of the room, taking in every detail. She ooh'ed and ahh'ed at all of my trophies and plaques, and finally stopped to look at all of my pictures.

“This is me, winning first place at the tender age of 3. These are my fathers when they were younger. And this...I forgot I had this. I meant to have it cropped before I put it up.”

Brittany frowned and moved in close to get a better look. 

“Who are these people, Rachel? They don't seem very nice.”

The picture she was referring to was one of my favorites, although if you looked closely, you would see a couple of cheerleaders in the background making obscene gestures.

“Yes, well. They aren't exactly the nicest people in the world. One of them...well, she has a hard exterior, but I can tell that underneath all of that bravado, lies a sweet person. It's unfortunate that she rarely decides to show it.”

Brittany pulled the picture from the full-length mirror and walked over to her bed.

“Is it okay if I fix this for you? I could cut them out of the picture, and give it a really nice border.”

In that moment I realized that if I had had a friend at McKinley High who was half as kind as Brittany was, I probably wouldn't have left. Maybe I had endured all of the torture at McKinley simply to understand what it was like to have a true friend.

“Thank you, Brittany. That's very kind of you.”

Brittany shrugged and put the picture aside. 

“It's no biggie, Rach. I just want you to be happy here. That picture will remind you of all the bad times that you had at your old school. If it's okay, can you tell me about those people in the picture?”

I sighed and brushed my hair back, mentally preparing myself. 

“Well, as I said, one of the girls has an incredibly tough exterior. It's like she's constantly on guard. She isn't one to let people get close to her emotionally. There were a few times when I felt a small amount of hope that we could one day be friends, but I was shot down each time. It didn't really help my situation that I was incredibly attracted to her, both physically and intellectually. Ahem. Moving on.”

Brittany shuffled over to my bed and sat down, nodding for me to continue.

“The other girl...well, she and I have never gotten along. She just dislikes every part of me, which is fine. I never really expected us to bloom into best friends. She and this other girl are partners in crime. They watch each other's backs. As for the rest of the club, no one ever appreciated my talent. They never gave me the time of day, even though I knew I could lead them to victory.”

Brittany scooted closer to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“I'm sorry they were such jerks. What were their names? If I ever meet them on the street, it's totally goin' down.”

I smiled at Brittany's declaration, and didn't doubt it for a second.

“Well, the head cheerleader's name is Quinn, and her sidekick's name is S-”

A knock on the door stopped me before I could finish. I hopped up from my bed and answered the door, a surprised look on my face when I saw who it was.

“Hadley, Cameron. To what do we owe this spontaneous visit?”

Hadley placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, while Cameron stood there, hands on hips, glancing in Brittany's direction. 

“Oh, wow. Your rooms looks amazing. You certainly have an eye for interior design. May we come in?”

I glanced at Brittany for approval, but she was apparently more interested in something on the rug.

“Sure, yes. Come on it. I apologize for the mess. I only just now started setting everything up.”

Hadley shook her head as she walked by me, straight to my bed.

“Nonsense, Rachel. It all looks amazing.”

Cameron strode past me and walked over to where Brittany was sitting, intent on getting her attention.

“I apologize for our stopping in so suddenly. I just couldn't seem to get the new transfer student off of my mind.”

I couldn't help but blush at her comment. No one had ever taken such an interest in me, and no one had ever been quite so forward. I have to admit, it was exciting. 

“So I was wondering. Would you like to come with me to meet the glee club teacher? I'm sure she's dying to meet you.”

I looked over at Brittany once more to see how she felt.

“It's okay, Rach. Go on with Hadley. It's a good idea to meet Miss Summers before we have an actual meeting.”

I glanced at her once more before grabbing my phone and heading for the door. A part of me really didn't want to leave her alone with Cameron, but I couldn't figure out why.

“I have my phone on me. Call if you need anything.”

Brittany nodded once more, and I followed Hadley into the hallway.

...GLEE

“What are you doing, Cameron? I've told you so many times, I'm just not interested.”

Cameron turned around angrily and met Brittany's eyes. 

“What does she have that I don't have, Brittany? I'm here with you, right now. She's not. She doesn't care about you like I do!”

Brittany jumped up to meet Cameron's steely gaze.

“She loves me! Just because she can't be here right now doesn't change that. She loves me. I love her. That's how it is.”

Cameron scoffed before taking a step backwards.

“Who the hell are you trying to convince, Brittany? It's because of her that you got kicked out of McKinley in the first place! She was careless. She was careless because she doesn't feel what I feel for you. Why can't you see that?”

Brittany shook her head and pointed to the door.

“Just leave. I'm tired of having this conversation day after day. Santana loves me, Cameron. She loves me for who I am, and I love her for who she is. Just because we can't be together right now doesn't make it any less true.”

Cameron clenched her fists together in an attempt to control the anger that was currently bubbling out of her.

“She's going to break your heart, you know. She did it once. She'll do it again.” 

With that said, she stomped angrily towards the door, and into her own room where the sound of a door being slammed echoed throughout the hallway.

Brittany sighed and fell against her bed, her cellphone in hand.

'I miss you so much.'

...GLEE.

Hadley had shown me the parts of the building that Brittany had forgotten, and finally led me to the school's choir room.

“Well, this is it. Miss Summers is in there right now, probably preparing some songs for us. Go introduce yourself. I'll be right behind you.”

I smiled and opened the door, a look of awe on my face.

The choir room in this school was just so...nice. From the chairs that were lined up down to the grand piano, practically everything looked brand new. Off to the side of the room was a large desk, and sitting at it was a small red headed woman. She looked up when she heard us enter, and smiled widely.

“Hadley, it's so good to see you. And this must be our new student, Rachel.”

I walked forward and put my hand out to meet hers.

“Hello Miss Summers. My name is Rachel Berry, and I would just like to say what an honor it is to finally meet you, and I hope that this glee club will benefit from my presence, as I'm sure I will benefit from the club itself, and I would also like to take this opportunity to list off many of my previous performances, starting with-”

I was once again cut off mid sentence, this time it was Hadley's hand on my shoulder that stopped me.

“Rachel, Rachel, it's fine. She knows how talented you are. I gave her the rundown of the new student already.”

I looked up at Hadley, slightly surprised.

“You did?”

She smiled down at me and then rolled her eyes.

“Of course I did. I needed to know more about my competition. Can never be too careful, you know.”

Miss Summers walked towards me, smile still in place.

“We'll obviously have to have an audition, but I can tell already that you'll have no trouble getting in. I look forward to hearing you perform.”

I stepped forward, barely able to contain my smile, and put my hand out once more. 

“It was really great to meet you. I look forward to performing with you soon!”

I turned away from Miss Summers to see Hadley looking at me, her eyes sparkling. I walked up to her, trying to stop smiling.

“How was I? Was I too much? Did I go overboard?”

She stepped forward quickly and placed her hands firmly on my shoulders.

“Rachel, it's fine. You were perfect.”

I let out a high pitched noise of happiness before darting forward to wrap her in a hug. When I realized what it was I was doing exactly, I pulled away quickly.

“I'm sorry...I didn't mean to- I was just so-”

“Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong.”

I scoffed lightly before turning around, speaking more to myself than to Hadley.

“If that had been Quinn, I probably wouldn't be alive right now.”

I didn't think she heard me, but her questioning look gave it away.

“Who did you say just now?”

I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“It was just this girl that I knew from my previous school. You remind me of her, but at the same time, you're so different. If I had hugged her like that, she wouldn't have reacted well.”

Hadley smiled and took my hand gently.

“It's okay, Rachel. You don't ever have to apologize for hugging me. That's just silly. In fact, I'd be happy if it was something you did more often. Forget about that girl. Hey, you know what? I bet after all that excitement, you're probably hungry. Let me take you to get something to eat.”

A part of me was prepared to pinch myself once more to be sure that this wasn't a dream. Instead of doing so, I allowed her to take my hand and lead me to the cafeteria.

If I hadn't thought this school was perfect before, I certainly did now, especially after seeing their extensive list of Vegan friendly meals. Hadley and I grabbed our plates, and headed for a table. We immediately jumped into conversation, none of it feeling forced. She told me about her parents and their decision to send her here, and she told me about her love for singing and cheering. It was when I asked her why she was so passionate about it, that I noticed a change in her mood.

“Cheering and singing have always been my favorite things. They're what I'm good at, and they're what I love. It's just...when I was younger, there was this girl who was in every one of my singing classes, and attended each cheer practice. She was always better than me. No matter what we were competing for, she always came out the victor. Eventually it became too much for me, and I ended up transferring. Now, no matter what I'm competing for, I always try my best, and come out on top. I picture that girl's face, and how she always seemed to look down on me. That's what gets me through.”

I reached across the table and took her hand gently.

“I'm sorry. It sounds like that must have been rough for you. If you don't mind my asking, what was the girl's name?”

Hadley rubbed her nose before looking up to meet my eyes.

“Lucy. Her name was Lucy.”

...GLEE.

By the time Hadley and I had finished talking, it was already dark outside. She escorted me to my room, and once again kissed the back of my hand.

“I had a really great time, Rachel. I hope that one day soon you'll let me take you out for a meal outside of this place.” The half smile she was giving me was enough to make me melt inside, but I did my best to hide it. We parted ways, and I opened the door to my room as quietly as I could.

From what I could tell, Brittany was already fast asleep. I paused for a moment and heard her quiet breaths before setting my stuff down softly and getting into bed. I had been lying there for what felt like an hour, thinking over the events of the day. I couldn't stop the content smile that made its way onto my face. I had been about to drift off when I heard it. At first I thought I was dreaming, but the tapping noise became more incessant.

Tink, tink.

I glanced over at Brittany, and whispered her name harshly.

“Brittany. Brittany, do you hear that?”

She snored in response and I grumbled softly. My initial reaction was one of fear, but confidence and curiosity soon overtook me, and I ventured towards the noise. The closer I got, the louder the noise became. I soon found myself situated in front of the large window of our room. I took a deep breath before opening the curtains. Nothing could prepare me for what was waiting outside of my window, and I let loose a scream that was sure to wake the entire dormitory.

“SANTANA?!”

“BERRY?!”


	5. Chapter 5

“SANTANA?!”

“BERRY?!”

“Okay. This is just a nightmare. It was a long day, and this is obviously the result of lack of sleep. I'm going back to my bed, and you're going to disappear. Okay. Here I go.”

I took a few steps towards my bed, only to be stopped by Brittany.

“Rach, it's okay. It's just Santana. I probably should have warned you that she comes to my window almost every night. It's so normal for me that I forgot to mention it.”

I took a deep breath before turning to Brittany.

“Brittany. What is Santana Lopez doing at your window? Did you come here to torment me? I came here to get away from you people!”

Santana jumped into the room and shut the window behind her.

“Chill out, dwarf. I'm here for Britts. I had no idea that you were shacking up here. Get over yourself.”

And then something happened. Something I would have never imagined, not in a million years.

Santana took a few steps until she was in front of Brittany, and then pulled her in for a hug. Brittany then pulled away from her, and then moved in closer to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

After five uncomfortable minutes of staring with my mouth agape, I finally closed it and moved to sit on my bed.

“You...and Santana. I never would have thought. So I take it that you're the best friend? The sweet best friend that I would get along with? The one from the picture.”

Santana turned to me, her arms crossed over her chest, and her signature glare on her face.

“What are you talking about, Berry?”

After looking around, she finally spotted the picture of her and Brittany on the camping trip. The second she spotted it, her frown dropped, and was replaced immediately with a smile. Bi-polar. The girl was definitely bi-polar.

“Aww, Britts. You kept the picture.”

Brittany walked up behind Santana and placed her arms around her waist.

“Of course I d id. It's my favorite.”

The Twilight Zone. I was in the Twilight Zone. The scene before me wasn't happening. As far as I was concerned, Santana Lopez wasn't human. A robot with no human emotions? Sure. A really really mean robot? Definitely. A really sweet person with a partner like Brittany? Absolutely not.

“Will someone please explain this to me, as I am completely lost.”

Brittany finally seemed to realize what was going on, when she finally disentangled herself from Santana's waist.

“Wait, Rachel, you know Santana? San? What's going on?”

I crossed my arms and stared Santana down. She mirrored my stance, and I began to speak.

“It's because of her and a few other people that I was forced to leave McKinley. You recall the sidekick I spoke of? Well, here she is.”

Santana began to look uncomfortable as Brittany's questioning gaze fell upon her. She looked from Santana back to me, and repeated this a few times.

“San, is this true? Were you one of the people who bullied Rachel?”

Santana glared at me and then gave Brittany what I assumed to be her pleading/begging face.

Is it wrong to say that I was happy that Brittany wasn't falling for it?

Santana looked between the two of us before letting out a strangled noise.

“Okay, yes. I was one of those people. I'm not proud of it. It's just something we did to pass the time. Brittany, you gotta believe me!”

Brittany pulled away from Santana and sat on her bed.

“San, how could you be so mean to her? Rachel is one of the most awesomest people that I've ever met.”

Santana let out a noise that sounded akin to a sob and fell to Brittany's knees.

“Brittany, please. It wasn't anything serious. We never meant for it to go this far. Please, Britt. Look at me.”

Brittany turned to Santana, a stern look on her face.

“I'm guessing it was you and Quinn, right?”

Santana hung her head and then whispered a 'yes' that was barely audible.

I cocked my head to the side and looked at Brittany.

“Wait. Brittany, how do you know Quinn?”

Brittany, who still wasn't looking at Santana, turned to face me, her eyes laced in sadness.

“We were all really close when I went to McKinley. The Unholy Trinity, that's what they called us. We were all inseparable until my parents made me switch schools.”

Brittany finally looked down at Santana, and took her hands in between her own.

“You went to McKinley? I don't remember ever seeing you. Then again, it's probably because I avoided the Cheerios at all costs. If I may ask, why did your parents make you come here?”

Santana looked off to the side of the room and scoffed. She paused to wipe away the moisture that had gathered in her eyes, and began to speak.

“It's because of what you just saw. Britts and I were studying in her room one night, and one thing led to another...and then her parents walked in. They threw me out, and sent Brittany here.”

Brittany brushed her hands through Santana's hair softly, and for a short moment, I was jealous of what they had.

“Santana's sneaking in is the only way we're able to see one another. We have to be careful though, because Cameron seems to know when San is going to show up, and she has a big mouth.”

Santana slammed a fist into her hand and snarled.

“Is that bitch still giving you problems? Please. Just let me beat her up a little bit. Please? It can be like, a birthday present or something.”

Brittany finally smiled, but shook her head.

“No fighting, Santana. It'll just make for bad times for us in the future. Anyway, enough about her. We need to talk about you and Rachel.”

Santana rolled her eyes and stepped back.

“I already apologized. What more do you want from me?”

If Brittany didn't look so angry, I probably would have laughed at Santana's childish pout.

“Santana. You know that feeling you get when people call me names behind my back? When they call me stupid, or even the 'r' word.”

“Stop! Brittany, don't say that. I told you, don't ever listen to that shit! And I told you to tell me when people say things like that!”

This was a side of Santana I never expected to see. Such a fierce passion when it came to Brittany threw me aback. I guess you never really do know a person completely. 

“It doesn't really bother me like it used to. I know that I'm not one of the most smartest people out there, but that doesn't matter to me. My point is, I don't have to worry about people saying mean things because I have Rachel here. She's like, a smaller, Jewish version of you. You should have seen the glare she gave Cameron. You would have been proud.”

Santana looked at me, still not fully convinced.

“You did that for my girl? Stood up to that bitch?”

I shook my hair to the side and stood up straight.

“Of course I did. Brittany is my best friend, and I will always be there when she needs me.”

Santana's glare dropped, and for a moment, I saw the real girl behind the angry mask. This girl was scared and unsure, but also overflowing with love.

“Thank you, Ber...Rachel. Thank you for doing that. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for the way we treated you. For the way I treated you.”

A part of me couldn't believe that this was happening, that Santana Lopez was apologizing to me. I wasn't about to let her off that easily, but I could see the sincerity in her eyes, and figured I could at least work on forgiving her.

Brittany clapped her hands together and cheered.

“Okay! Time to hug it out! Let's go, you two.”

Santana's face twisted into a look of terror, and she backed up.

“Britts, I just don't think we're ready for that step in our new...friendship. Maybe in a year or two.”

I smiled, but shrugged it off. It would be a process.

“So...Rachel.” She said my name hesitatingly, as if testing it on her tongue. “Do you miss McKinley? I know most of the glee club misses you.”

I looked up at her, shock on my face.

“You say most missed me? That's a shock in itself. What about the rest?”

Santana sighed and leaned back on Brittany's bed.

“Quinn is the rest. She's been so annoying since you left. One minute she's angry, the next minute she's a complete mopey mess. It's exhausting to look at her.”

Normally, words come to me at the speed of light, but what Santana had said left me speechless.

What was going on in the mind of Quinn Fabray? Why was she acting this way? Maybe she was going through bullying withdrawals. That was definitely a possibility. 

“Yeah, it's irritating, to say the least. It's always 'Rachel this, and Rachel that.' Blah, blah.”

“She...she talks about me?”

Santana gave me the 'duh' face and continued on.

“She won't say it, but I know that she misses you. Quinn tries her best to hide her feelings, but honestly, she kind of sucks at it. Oh, man, it was awesome! The other day in the lunch room, we were walking to our table, and I was all like 'Hey look, is that Berry?!' And Quinn dropped her tray and damn near pulled a muscle looking for you. Pa-rice-less.”

Brittany gently swatted at Santana, and Santana feigned being hurt.

“That's not nice, San. You know Quinn is fragile.”

Santana scoffed and hopped off of the bed.

“Yeah, totally fragile. Especially that fragile fist that almost broke my jaw.”

I shook my head and frowned. There was no way that I was going to buy into any of this. 

“Quinn Fabray hates me. I don't know what it is that you think you're seeing, but you're completely and utterly wrong.”

Santana put her hands up in mock surrender.

“I know Quinn really well, Berry. She doesn't know how to deal with her feelings, so she goes on a complete trip where she punishes herself. It's all so gross to watch. Anywho. I gotta blow this joint before the ogre across the hall realizes I'm here and decides she wants to skewer me. Pft. As if.”

Brittany got up to meet Santana, and I once again felt like I shouldn't have been in the room. Before Santana was able to window hop, we heard the door knob to our room start to turn, and Santana dived behind a chair.

“Rachel, Brittany? Are you guys alright? We thought we heard a scream. We wanted to make sure that you two were alright.”

Hadley and Cameron rushed in, clad in nothing but pajamas that weren't exactly modest. I blushed immediately and turned away. Cameron walked up to Brittany, but Brittany moved quickly away from her. Cameron frowned, and moved back towards the door. Hadley walked up to me, concern written across her brow.

“Rachel, are you alright?”

I smiled at her genuine tone, and nodded my head.

“Yes, we're both fine. Thank you for your concern. I was simply startled awake by a nightmare, but Brittany was right by my side.”

Hadley leaned in and kissed my cheek softly.

“Come and get me if you can't sleep. I wouldn't mind helping you out.”

With those words hanging in the air, both Cameron and Hadley retreated to their room, shutting our door softly behind them. After a few minutes of waiting until it was safe, Santana came out from behind the chair.

“That disgusting little ho. Both of them! Can't keep it in their pants for a goddamn minute! Sounds like she wants to get her lips wet with a little Berry juice, if you get my meaning.”

I ignored the perverse comment and looked up at Santana questioningly.

“You know Hadley?”

She once again pulled a face, and headed towards the window.

“All I know is that Quinn is going to flip when I tell her what I just saw. Oh, this is going to be so sweet.”

I was about to stop her and ask her what she meant, but she was already half way out of the window. Before she was gone, she lifted her fingers to her lips, and threw a kiss in Brittany's direction in a dramatic fashion.

“Baby! Much love. Until tomorrow night! Berry- er, Rachel? Peace.”

Brittany giggled as Santana hopped through the window and shut it gently behind her. She turned to me, her eyes swirling with many emotions. 

“I'm sorry Rachel. If I had known that it was Santana and Quinn who were behind all of the mean bullying, I would have tried to stop it sooner.”

I put my hands up and shook my head, walking towards her.

“Brittany, none of it is your fault. It was just the result of two very bored cheerleaders with nothing better to do with their time, apparently. I can't say that I forgive Santana, and I hope you understand. It'll be a process. A very long process. Today I saw a glimpse of the true person beneath that snarl, and I have to admit, I liked what I saw.” 

Brittany nodded her head up and down quickly and shrugged.

“Yeah I totally understand, Rach. I'm actually glad that you didn't give in so easily. Make her earn your friendship. It'll be worth it for both of you in the end.”

Though Brittany’s odd comments never failed to throw me off, no part of this girl before me was deserving of the hurtful remarks that were hurled her way. How anyone could insult someone so caring was beyond me.

“So...how about Quinn?”

Quinn Fabray. An anomaly. An enigma, of sorts. A person who treated me like I was nothing one minute, and then did a complete 180 and showed me a different side of herself. Quinn Fabray, a girl who had trouble showing her true emotions to people. Quinn Fabray, a girl who hid behind a thick, armored wall of contempt. Quinn Fabray...who was, at the end of the day, just a girl. Of most things in life, I was entirely certain. Concerning my future as a star, I had it all figured out. Concerning Quinn...I felt as though I had been thrown into a deep fog, one in which I would occasionally catch glimpses of her, and then just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone again. It was beyond frustrating.

A part of me knew that I shouldn't care about her. A part of me knew that it would probably be best to just forget that she ever existed. For a reason that seemed beyond my reach, I couldn't get her off of my mind. Quinn was on a path of destruction, and I was concerned. And Santana. Ugh. She had to go and open her big mouth once again, and tell me that Quinn, of all people, missed me.

It was just so wrong. 

It was too much information all at once. Too much to focus on. My only theory was that Quinn missed having her personal punching bag around. That was it. I couldn't afford to make more of it than what it actually was. This was the start of my new life. I had new friends, New classes, and now...Hadley. Whatever she was to me, or whatever she was becoming, it wasn't fair to focus on Quinn at the moment.

I turned to Brittany and sighed.

“Quinn...she's in the past. Whatever transpired between the two of us is firmly in the past. It has to be.”

Brittany nodded and slipped back into bed.

“It's okay. I understand. Have a good night, Rachel.”

I wished her a goodnight and wrapped my blankets tightly around my body, and fell hard into dream land. Trophies and medals floated around my head in droves, and the applause from the crowd filled my ears. I was greeted by my parents, smiles covering their faces. And then, from the back of the crowd, a girl walked up to me, and pulled me into a tight embrace. The love radiating off of this girl felt so real that I was awoken almost immediately. The last thing I remembered was blonde hair, and the most beautiful green eyes I have ever gazed into.

...GLEE.

Though she had frequented this house like it was her own, she still felt as though she was a vandal, preparing herself to rob the current inhabitant blind. Here she was, once again, sneaking in through someone's window. She was a firm believer that the front door was for pansies, anyway. At least when it came to houses.

She opened the window carefully, and tiptoed around to the queen sized bed. The occupant was currently scrunched up into a fetal position, squeezing the life out of a pink teddy bear. Santana quietly 'awwe'd' before taking a picture with her cellphone, and then snatched the bear away from the slumbering girl, and tossed it across the room.

“Yo, Q. Q-Ball. Q-tip. You awake? Come on, wakey wakey, I got some important news.”

Quinn stirred slightly, but went right on snoring. 

Santana, evil gleam appearing in her eyes, leaned down until her mouth was level with Quinn's exposed ear. Before she spoke, she apologized profusely to a Brittany that wasn't currently present.

“I banged Rachel Berry.”

Not a second later, Quinn jumped out of bed, her eyes wide with fear.

“Santana! What the hell are you doing here! Why can't you ever call first like a normal person?”

Santana shrugged and hopped into Quinn's bed, and fully extended herself in a comfortable position.

“Eh, you know me. Calling and knocking are far too boring. Gotta spice it up a bit, you know?”

Quinn glared heatedly before shoving Santana out of the bed, and getting comfortable once more. Santana hit the ground with a resounding thud. She glared at Quinn before dusting herself off, and then sat on the edge of the bed, a safe distance away.

“You're lucky you didn't damage the goods. Someone would have been preeeettty unhappy with you.”

Quinn chuckled softly before turning to face Santana.

“How is Brittany, anyway? Did you scare her like you scared me?”

Santana pulled a face, and then went into serious mode.

“Well, it started out fine. Totes getting our mack on, but then the funniest thing happened. We were interrupted...by a little hobbit-like creature. Who, by the way, almost ruined my game.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“What are you talking about? Is it Brittany's new roommate?”

Santana put her face in her hands, and began to mumble to herself. 

“Why, oh why, am I surrounded by idiots? I guess it's my curse to be the hot and smart one. Listen to me, Quinn. Watch my lips, okay? A hobbit-like creature has taken up residence with my Britt-Britt. A hobbit that we know, is now living with Brittany.”

Realization hit Quinn like a ton of bricks. Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, and her mouth formed into a giant 'O.'

Santana nodded sagely, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, I know. That was kind of my reaction, too.”

Santana stared at her friend, wondering what was currently going through her mind. 

“Listen, Quinn. I sort of..uhm, I sorta apologized to her. Berry, I mean. Turns out that skank Cameron is trying to make a play for Brittany again, and Rachel was right by her side. They're total BFFS now, and ...I'm kind of happy about it. I feel like I don't have to be there 24/7, ya know?”

Quinn scoffed before picking at an imaginary piece of lint.

“That doesn't surprise me. Rachel may be annoying, and she may never stick up for herself, but she's never had a problem sticking up for other people.”

Santana nodded once more, and continued on.

“There's something else, too. While I was busy playing hide and seek behind a chair, I heard something that almost made me projectile vomit. Hadley was there.”

Quinn smiled in the manner of a true HBIC.

“Is she still the under dog who couldn't quite make it?”

Santana cleared her throat, and smoothed her hair back.

“Well, no. Not exactly. I mean yeah, she's still a total loser with a capital 'L', but it seems she's taken interest in one pint sized Jew. Believe me, Quinn. She was all up on Berry, and Berry wasn't saying no.”

Quinn gulped audibly before letting out a deep breath as slowly as she could muster.

“That's...lovely. Really. Best news I've heard all day. Now please, can I go back to sleep?”

Santana gently shoved Quinn until she got back up once more.

“Well. There's one more small thing. I also sort of told Rachel...thatyoumissedher.”

Quinn leaned forward and poked a finger hard against Santana's chest.

“Please repeat that last part.”

“Ugh, I told her that you missed her! Feel free to go all Hulk-Quinn, but you know it's true. You haven't been the same since Berry left, and I just wanted to help you.”

Quinn rolled her eyes and huffed to herself.

“Quinn, you don't have to say anything. I'm your best friend; I know you. I'm not saying that you should pull up in your porche to whisk her away. Just...come with me tomorrow night on my visit to Britts. Just come see her. It'll make you feel better, I promise. If it doesn't...then I'll pay for a months' worth of meals at Breadstix.”

Quinn rolled her eyes once more, and tried her hardest to say no. She tried with all her might, and yet that simple two letter word seemed light years away.

“Yes. Fine. I'll come with you. To see her...to see Berry.” She cleared her throat softly. “To see Rachel.”

Santana fist pumped into the air before once again heading towards the open window.

“Okay. I would totally love to curl up and spoon with you, but I prefer hot blondes. Later, Fabray.”

Quinn sighed deeply at her friend's antics, and tried once more to get comfortable. 

She dreamed of Cheerleading Championships won, and the perfect pyramid. She took in everything that the crowd gave her, and paused in mid cheer when a girl from said crowd approached her quickly.

Though the girl was small in stature, she made up for it in strength, or so Quinn thought when the girl pulled her into a tight hug. Quinn, not one for such public displays, jerked awake immediately. Her fleeting thoughts were of silky brown hair, and chocolate eyes that seemed to look into her very soul.


	6. Chapter 6

Though I had experienced many changes as of late – a new school, new friends, and a new...personal interest, one thing remained a constant; my morning routine. At exactly 6:00am, my alarm went off, blaring the tune of some 80s song that I couldn’t quite place. I jumped out of bed with renewed energy, and a smile across my face.

Today was my first official day of classes, and I was going to face today with nothing but a positive outlook, and my ever growing thirst for knowledge. I looked over at Brittany's sleeping form and frowned. A part of me was hoping that she, too, was an early riser, and would accompany me on a run.

I walked over to her, my hands on my hips. Leaning over slightly, I whispered softly into her ear.

“Brittany. Psst, Brittany. Are you awake?”

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Brittany S. Pierce, you are late for cheer practice!”

A split second later, Brittany was out of her bed and on her feet. A part of me almost felt bad for doing this to her, but it was in the name of fitness!

“I'm here, coach! Please don't make me run laps!”

When her eyes finally adjusted to the dark and she saw that it was only me, she let out a grumble of frustration.

“Racheeeelll. It's like, way too early to be alive. What are you doing up?” With just a little persuasion, I would have a running partner.

“Well, Brittany, I'm glad that you asked. I am a firm believer that proper nutrition and exercise are the key components in a person's success, and furthermore-”

A loud snore cut me off. While I was in the process of explaining myself, she had somehow managed to crawl deep under her covers, and back to sleep. Ah, well. There was always tomorrow. It seemed that today I would be running solo. I dressed quickly, eager to start my day.

I opened the door to our room quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping blonde. Though I opened it slowly to avoid any and all noises, I had no doubt that Brittany would go on snoring even if I had slammed the door shut.

As I opened our door, the door across the hall opened slowly as well. I peeked my head out to see Hadley, using the same tactic I had used to exit the room. She was dressed in running attire; head band to keep her hair back, a tight black tank top, and shorts that showed off her toned legs.

I didn't know how long I had been standing there staring at her, but it was clear that she had noticed. She snapped her fingers in front of my face a few times, her eyes sparkling. 

“Rachel, hey, are you alright? You kinda spaced there for a bit.”

I jerked my head up and finally made real eye contact. Eye contact, which was a very bad idea. Her blue eyes locked with mine, and I couldn't tear away.

“Uh. Yes. Sorry. I guess I just haven't fully woken up yet.” She brought a hand to her mouth and laughed softly.

“Sneaking out of your room, I see? Cameron and Brittany are one in the same when it comes to waking up in the morning. She generally waits until ten minutes before the last bell before she even gets ready. I, on the other hand, feel that a good run in the morning and a balanced meal are essential.”

I smiled and looked down, suddenly feeling shy.

“Well, I'm glad that someone here shares my opinion on health and fitness.”

During the middle of my speech, I noticed her eyes start to drop lower and lower, and then move back up to meet my eyes. I suddenly felt naked beneath her gaze. This must be the feeling a zebra gets, under the ever watchful eyes of a lion. Her eyes were hungry, and my body was the meal that they lusted over.

I cleared my throat softly and her eyes seemed to lose the haze that had previously taken over,

“Would you like to run together? Since our roommates seem to fear any time that is before noon.”

She let loose a soft laugh that caressed my skin, causing immediate goosebumps. She extended her hand forward.

“So...partners, then?”

I nodded and took her outstretched hand between my own.

“Partners.”

*****

Our numerous runs around the school track were exactly what I needed to clear my mind, and Hadley kept up beautifully. She ran with determination, her stride powerful. Though I tried my best, I couldn't stop my eyes from staring at her well toned abs and backside. Each time she would question me with a raised eyebrow, I would avert my eyes and run ahead of her.

After three miles were behind us, we both slowed to a walk, attempting to catch our breaths.

“That was amazing! I'm just so used to running alone. Having a partner pushed me to run further and faster.”

Hadley stopped and bent over, hands on her knees. Her words came out in pants.

“Well...Rachel...you definitely gave me a run for my money...no pun, of course.”

She looked up at me suddenly, a small grin on her face.

“Was it good for you?”

I swallowed the lump that had grown in my throat, and nodded slowly.

“I hope we can do it again some time.”

She stood up and stretched, and stalked past me towards the direction of the dorms.

“Of course. Now, I think it's time for a shower, because I can actually feel the sweat dripping down my back. You know, Rachel, if we shower together, we can actually save water. You seem like the environmentally friendly type. What do you say?”

When I realized what it was she was saying, I nearly tripped over my own feet.

“I...wha...huh?”

She laughed outright, and put her hands on my shoulders.

“Relax Rachel. It was just a joke. Now let's get going. If I don't wake Cameron up, she'll probably miss first period.”

Ah yes. Class. School. Real life.

“Which class do you have first?”

I took a minute to think about it. I had received my schedule upon arriving, but couldn't get the words to form properly. After a minute of fumbling my words, I finally gained control over the English language once more.

“I believe I have Spanish.”

“Aww, that's no good. I was hoping we would have first period together. I think Cameron has Spanish in the morning, so at least there will be someone you know.”

I smiled politely and followed her off of the track. I didn't want Hadley to catch on to the fact that I felt uneasy around her friend. There was something about that girl that wasn't quite right. I figured that anyone who set Brittany on edge was definitely someone to keep an eye on.

We walked together back to the dorms, discussing everything from food to politics. She listened on with interest as I discussed my love for Barbra Streisand, never once trying to steer the conversation to something else. When I was with Hadley, no subject seemed taboo. She would listen while I ranted and raved, and never once interrupted. As I talked her ear off once again about Barbra, I failed to notice that we had reached our rooms. 

I smiled up at her and blushed, remembering what usually happened next. Hadley seemed to sense this, and winked at me.

“This is the part where I would kiss you goodbye, but considering I smell like the locker room right now, I think I'll save it for later.”

I tried not to show my disappointment, but I guess I failed miserably, because she began to laugh.

“I promise I'll make it up to you later. Have a good first day, Rachel.”

I looked on in her direction, even as the door to her room shut. It took all of my willpower to keep from swooning. After a minute of standing in the hallway looking like a fool, I finally went inside.

I was surprised to see that the light was on and Brittany was actually awake, laying in her bed, playing with her cellphone.

“Rachel! Hey. Where did you go? I was surprised when I woke up and you weren't here. Santana said that a man named Gandalf gave you a really important mission, but I didn't understand what she meant. Oh! And she also told me to tell you “haha, just kidding, Berry.' So, where did you go?”

I let Santana's comment slide, knowing that this time it was said in a joking manner, not in a manner meant to be cruel. 

“You don't remember? I woke you up this morning, and asked you to go running with me. Needless to say, you were very adamant about staying in bed.”

Brittany covered her faced and groaned. “I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm not very good with mornings. Usually it takes a text from Santana to really get me up. She always says the cutest things to get me up. Today, she told me that if I woke up, she'd do that thing with her tongue that I really--”

“Oh, that's lovely! Sorry Brittany, we can finish this conversation later. I need to shower and get ready for class.”

Brittany nodded and went back to her phone.

“You were out with Hadley, weren't you? I can tell, cause you're all smiley. You have the same smile on your face that Santana gets when we see each other. You really like her, huh?”

I paused before entering the bathroom, thinking hard about her question. 

“I think that she is a fabulous person. She's an amazing listener, an amazing conversationalist, she's very sweet, and--”

“Not like Quinn, huh?”

I hadn't heard that name as of late, and it caught me off guard. I felt my mouth go dry, and my heart speed up. Suddenly I found myself remembering last night's dream. What that had to do with Quinn, I wasn't quite sure, but I didn't want to give it too much thought.

“Quinn...Quinn is an incredibly intelligent young woman. She is ambitious; when there is something she wants, she goes for it. On top of being a superb athlete, she is also breathtakingly gorgeous, with eyes like--”

Green eyes. The most beautiful green eyes that I have ever gazed into. Quinn...was the girl from my dream. Quinn Fabray was the girl who pulled me into her arms, and made me feel loved. She held me close and showed me what real love was. Why? Why was Quinn Fabray in my dream? Why was she hugging me, and on top of that, how did she evoke such a strong feeling from me? Something that I've never felt for anyone; and yet, with Quinn, I felt safe. Loved. I turned to Brittany, my thoughts running a mile a minute.

“Well, Quinn is...that is to say, she...”

“It's okay, Rach. I was just curious. Go take your shower, and we can head to class.”

I nodded at her, unable to speak. That seemed to be happening to me a lot lately, and I didn't like it. My thoughts were always clear and concise, and I always carried myself based on my ability to communicate, be it through song or rant. What was happening to me?

*******  
After my shower, I felt slightly better than I had going in. Quinn was still on my mind, but currently on the back burner, simmering. I emerged from the bathroom, clad in the Dalton Academy mandatory uniform. The jacket I had on was red with black trim, and went well with the black skirt that we were required to wear. Brittany was clad in her cheer leading uniform, waiting by the door. She perked up when I walked out.

“Ohhh, Rachel! You look so awesome!”

I curtsied before her and started giggling.

“This is yet another pro. Not one person can criticize what I'm wearing, because they're all wearing the same thing.”

Brittany frowned and linked her arm through mine.

“There's no way I'd let that happen. You wanna know something else? San told me to tell her if anyone bothered you today. She said she'd 'take care of it.' She also used her mafia voice, so I know she was serious. Oh! And you can't tell her that I told you, cause then she'd pout, and then you'd know she was just a big softy.”

And I thought I was the professional when it came to long speeches.

“Wow, Brittany. That's just...completely unexpected, to be honest. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

The image of Santana Lopez coming to my rescue was enough to shave a few years off of my life. I could see it now. Cowering in the hallway while Santana marches in, high pony bouncing back and forth dramatically; my knight in shining...spankies? 

Not in a million years. 

“Okay, Rach, it's time to go. Ohh, ohh! What class do you have first!”

Oh, right. Class. With Cameron. Maybe luck would shine down upon me, and Brittany would be the the same class. 

“I have Spanish. How about you?”

She frowned and snapped her fingers.

“Aww. I have World History. I'm pretty sure I have it with Hadley, actually.”

That meant that I would officially be alone with Cameron, no buffer in between us. I guess it was high time for me to get to know the glee club co-captain, anyway. I had really only seen her in passing, and only knew things about her as dictated to me through Santana and Brittany. Though I figured the two of them weren't exaggerating, I was going to give her the benefit of the doubt, and build my own opinion about her.

Brittany and I walked out of our room and were greeted by Cameron and Hadley waiting for us, high ponies up and smiles on their faces. I couldn't help the genuine feeling of happiness that came over me when I saw Hadley. I smiled shyly up at her and glanced over at Cameron. It was as if her eyes were magnets, and Brittany's body was some sort of metal. I tried to keep the look of disgust off of my face as I watched her all too obvious leering. I cleared my throat, and her eyes immediately went to the ground.

“Well, are we ready to go? We'll stop at our lockers before we split up. Hey, let me grab those for you.”

Before I had a chance to respond, Hadley reached down and took my books from my hands. I blushed furiously and moved a piece of hair behind my ear. So this is what it felt like to be catered to. Talk about going against the grain. Here I was, Rachel Berry, former loser of McKinley High School, and there she was; the beautiful captain of the cheer leading squad. Needless to say, I was awestruck that any of this was even happening, but I was most certainly not complaining. 

I saw Cameron preparing herself to try the same move on Brittany, but the tall blonde had already started walking ahead of us. For a split second, I almost felt bad for the girl. We reached our lockers, mine beneath Hadley's, Cameron's beneath Brittany's. I opened my locker and smiled to myself. Maybe sometime in the near future I could mirror one of those lovestruck girls and place a picture of that special someone on the inside. 

Hadley moved beside Brittany and turned to me. 

“Okay. As much as I don't want to leave, we need to get going. We'll probably be out before you guys, so I'll meet you back here. Is that alright?”

Is that alright? Was she crazy? I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it.

“Yes, of course. I mean, if you want to. If you have no prior engagements. I'll be here.”

Hadley searched my eyes for a moment and then winked.

“There's nowhere else I'd rather be. Let's go, Britt. You know how Mr. Lee gets when we're late.”

Brittany skipped after Hadley while waving to me frantically.

“Have fun, Rach!” Brittany stopped skipping and turned to Cameron, who currently looked like someone had just shot her puppy.

“Have a good day, Cameron. Look after Rachel. She's really tiny and can get lost easily.”

Cameron brightened up immediately, her smile covering her entire face. 

“Yeah, Britt. I'll be right by her side.”

With that said, Hadley and Brittany headed down the hallway towards their class, and Cameron turned towards me. 

“This our classroom right here. Our teacher is Ms. Ramos. She's a nice woman when you actually do your work, but if you slack, it isn't pretty. You don't really seem like the type of person to do that, so you should be all set.”

I nodded and followed Cameron into the room, which was fairly crowded already. At the front of the room, a small woman sat at a desk that seemed far too large for her. She smiled at us as we walked in, and I returned it. Cameron and I chose seats that were towards the back of the room, and got our books ready.

“Alright, class. I want you all to open to page twenty-three, and choose a partner. You'll get to know this person through various exercises. Please choose someone that you aren't acquainted with.”

I looked over at Cameron and she motioned for me to scoot my desk close to hers. I did so, and we opened our books. We went through the typical getting-to-know-you questions, such as favorite foods, favorite television shows, taste in music. It was twenty minutes into the exercise that I started to regret my decision to partner with her.

“So, Rachel. You and Brittany are close, right?”

In all honesty, the question wasn't all that surprising. I was expecting something like this, just not in the middle of class.

“She and I are friends, yes. And roommates, which you obviously know.” I shifted in my seat, her gaze suddenly making me uncomfortable.

“So you guys talk and stuff?”

I raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. 

“Does she ever...does she ever talk about me?”

And there it was, the question I had been dreading. She was looking for an answer that I just couldn't give, and I didn't want to be the person who shot her down. 

“She has, yes. When she told me about her experiences in cheer leading, she mentioned your name.”

The hopeful look in her eyes disappeared immediately, and all that was left was a steely glare.

“It's because...because of her. Brittany and I would be together if it wasn't for her. She's always in the way.”

At this point it seemed like she was speaking more to herself than to me and it was incredibly unsettling.

“What are you talking about, Cameron?”

She turned to me, anger burning brightly in her eyes.

“You know who I'm talking about. If you and Brittany are so close, I'm sure she's mentioned her name before. She's no good for Brittany. She broke her heart, and I know she'll do it again.”

I cleared my throat and prepared to do something that I never thought possible; defend Santana Lopez.

“Listen, Cameron. I know that you like Brittany very much, and honestly, I can see why. Brittany is an amazing person with a giant heart, and a lot of love to give. But I think she's made her choice, and I think you should respect that.”

Cameron scoffed and gave me an incredulous look. 

“If you really knew the other girl, you'd know that she's made the wrong choice, and needs to see that.”

I let out a deep sigh. This girl was frustrating. 

“Santana may be a handful, but-”

“You've met her? That means she must have come in again during the night. I told Brittany that it was a bad idea, and if I found out that it happened again, I'd have to tell to someone. She isn't allowed here, and she knows that!”

“Brittany really loves Santana, and if you care for her, you'll let them be. As for Santana sneaking in, you know it's the only way they're able to see one another. I think that if you took that away from her, you'd only push Brittany away. You need to be thankful that she has offered her friendship.”

Cameron jumped up from her chair so quickly that it almost fell over. She looked down at me angrily and spoke through gritted teeth.

“I don't want her friendship. It...it just isn't enough.”

With that said, she grabbed her bag and walked hurriedly out of the class room. I waited for the teacher to question it, but the bell rang not a minute later and all of the students were making their way out. Cameron definitely hadn't listened to a word that I said, that much was painfully obvious. From what I could see, what she felt for Brittany and what Santana felt for Brittany were two completely different things, and as different as night from day.

While Santana was gentle and, dare I say, sweet, Cameron seemed hardened, and wanted more control than anything. Needless to say, I agreed with Santana and Brittany's analysis of the girl. It was hard to believe that she and Hadley were best friends. Hadley. Just thinking of the girl brought a smile to my face. 

I waited in front of the class room door, trying to appear at ease, when really my thoughts were moving a mile a minute, and my stomach was in knots. What if she didn't show up? What if she forgot? What if this was some sort of cruel joke, and she was just--

“Hey! Rachel, I'm so sorry I'm late. I forgot to grab the assignment from the teacher and had to run back in. Were you waiting long?”

A sigh of relief left me before I was able to stop it, and she looked at me, her eyes concerned. 

“No, no. Not long at all. How was world history?”

She smiled and adjusted the straps on her backpack. “Ah, you know. It's history. Pretty much the same no matter which way you spin it. Brittany seemed to like it well enough.”

Brittany's name being mentioned automatically brought up the memory of my very much one sided conversation with Cameron, and I did everything that I could to avoid cringing outright. 

“What's the matter? You went somewhere just now. Is everything alright?”

I shook my head smiled, trying to alleviate any of her worry.

“Everything is fine. I was just thinking about our assignment for Spanish, that's all.”

She searched my eyes a moment longer before grinning.

“Okay. I'll accept that for now. If you'd like to talk about it later, you know I'm here. Listen, Rachel. There's something I wanted to ask you. Two things, actually.”'

My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened. Hadley averted her eyes and scratched the back of her neck in a rare show of uncertainty.

“I'd rather not ask you in the middle of the hallway. Will you walk with me?”

My answer came out as a near whisper.

“Yes. Of course. Where would you like to go?”

She let out a nervous laugh.

“Okay. This is a good start. Uhm. Let's go to the cafeteria.”

I nodded and followed after her. We entered the cafeteria and found a table in a corner, secluded from everyone else. She pulled out my chair for me, and then say down. I put my bag down softly and clasped my hands together under the table. Hadley laughed softly.

“I didn't think I would be so nervous. Before I make an ass out of myself, there's something I want to say.”

She looked at me, her eyes penetrating deep.

“Rachel, I think you're amazing. You're a beautiful young woman, full of passion and determination. Ever since you arrived, you've been on my mind. I just can't stop thinking about you. I just...I wanted to know if you'd consider maybe letting me take you on a real date? I mean, if not, it's totally fine, I just thought I'd give it a shot because-”

“Yes. The answer is yes. I'd love for you to take me out.”

Her head snapped up to look at me once more, her eyes unbelieving. 

“Wait...really? Yes?”

I laughed and reached across the table, taking her hand in mine. 

“The answer is yes. To be honest, you've been on my mind a lot, too. I guess...since the first time I saw you. You're a kind person, Hadley, and there's a shortage in the world of kind people. I find you strikingly beautiful, and I really never thought this would happen. I mean, I thought about it of course, but you're the cheerleader, and I'm the lo-”

My rant was interrupted by a pair of lips meeting my own. They were soft and full, and took my breath away. She pulled back, and my eyes were still closed, trying to absorb what had just transpired. I was going on a real date. Someone was taking me, Rachel Berry, on a real date, and said person had just kissed me. 

“You can open your eyes now, Rachel.”

I did so, and let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding in.

“You said you had two things to ask me. What was the second?”

“I was wondering if maybe you'd come to one of my cheer practices? I know it's not the most exciting thing to watch, but I'd really like it if you came.”

I put my finger to my chin as if thinking deeply, and finally looked at her.

“I suppose I could work it in to my busy schedule. I have a date coming up, you know, and I don't want to have to cancel on that person.” She laughed loudly and leaned forward once more, capturing her my lips with her own.

“Mmm. I could definitely get used to this. As much as I don't want to leave, I told Cam I'd meet up with her. She texted me earlier, and sounded pretty spazzed out. How about I meet up with you tomorrow, and we can talk more about going out.”

I fought back a frown. Cameron was going to talk to Hadley about our conversation in class. I figured it wouldn't do me any good to worry about it, considering that I was almost certain that Hadley would side with me. None of what I had said was said to be mean; it was just how I felt.

Hadley grabbed my hand and we made our way back to our rooms. With her hand wrapped firmly around mine, it became more and more apparent that this wasn't a dream. When we reached our doors, she pulled me into a gentle hug.

“I'm really glad you said yes. I'm going to do my best to show you a great time, and hopefully you'll want to go out with me again.”

She leaned down and gave my cheek a chaste kiss, and made her way to her room. I did my best to keep my emotions in check. Squealing in the manner of a fourteen year old girl probably wasn't the best course of action when alone in a hallway. I couldn't wait to tell Brittany!

I entered our room and threw my bag to the side.

“Brittany, you will not believe what just happened! I had the most amazing time with—Oh. Hello, Santana.”

In all my excitement, I failed to notice the latina girl sprawled out on Brittany's bed.

“What up, Berry?”

I figured this was a good time to let her know about my encounter with Cameron. The last thing I wanted was Santana to get caught. I couldn't begin to imagine how Brittany would react if Santana was thrown out once more.

“Santana, I ran into Cameron earlier, and—oh...oh my...”

The last thing I failed to notice was that there were two Cheerio jackets thrown onto the back of a chair. Two jackets, for two cheer leaders. The first cheerleader was on Brittany's bed, and the second...the second was sitting on mine, wearing a look so intense that it ripped into my core. When I met her eyes, my heart sped up, and something fluttered rapidly in my stomach.

“Qu...Quinn.”

“Hello, Rachel.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Qu...Quinn..”

“Hello, Rachel.”

My hand came to my chest immediately, my heart suddenly feeling as though I had just finished a marathon. I swallowed multiple times, my mouth having gone dry. I tried my best to keep eye contact with Quinn, but I couldn't help looking at the floor each time our eyes met. She sat on my bed, her legs crossed, and her hands resting on her knees. Everything about her posture said that she was calm, relaxed; until you looked into her eyes.

Her eyes were swirling with emotions; so many flickered across her face at once that I could barely register what she was feeling. I looked over at Brittany who was sitting beside Santana, slowly moving her hand through the latina's hair. Brittany looked up at me, her eyes apologetic. Santana lazed beside Brittany, a content smile on her face. If she felt the tension in the room, she gave no indication. She looked at her nails, and occasionally glanced up at Brittany, smiling softly. 

I looked between the three girls, confusion etched into my brow. Why? Why was Quinn Fabray in my room? Maybe this was Santana's idea of a joke. Maybe everything she had said about being sorry and wanting to attempt some sort of friendship with me was just a lie. She must have brought Quinn here so that they could continue what they started at McKinley. I could see no other reason why on earth she would be here. 

When the thought struck me, I swallowed thickly. It seemed that everything I had worked towards attaining at this school was about to be uprooted. New friends, new classes, and also Hadley. I'd have to leave these things behind me, all because Quinn Fabray needed her personal punching bag around. It wasn't fair.

I cleared my throat and finally looked at Quinn full on. I saw her lips close tightly, and her nose flare briefly. “I know why you're here. I can't believe I listened to you, Santana. I believed everything that you said. I thought you really wanted to try to be friends with me, and that you were actually sorry. Silly me, right?”

Santana lifted her head from Brittany's lap and looked at me. One of her eyebrows was raised, and her face was contorted into a look of shock.

“Berry, what the eff-”

I put my hand up to silence her, trying to gain some control over my erratic breathing.

“You couldn't wait until Brittany was gone, could you? And then...then you brought Quinn here, all so you could feel superior once more. I was starting to trust you, Santana. I'm sorry, Quinn. I'm sorry you had to waste your time coming here with Santana. I'm not going to go through this again.” 

I glanced quickly at Brittany, who looked like she was about to say something. Without grabbing my bag, I rushed towards our door, only to be stopped by the sound of hurried footsteps behind me and a hand on my upper arm.

I stopped and slowly turned around to look at the person who had grabbed me. I assumed it was Brittany, given that she was probably the only person in the room who actually cared about me. When I looked up to see Quinn, my breath caught in my throat, and I suddenly felt dizzy. She was looking down at me, her jaw clenched, and her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her breaths were ragged, and her eyes were darting back and forth between my own. Her grip on my arm was tight, but not tight enough to actually cause pain. She opened her mouth a few times, but no sound came out. She closed her eyes tightly and let out a slow breath.

“Please. Please...sit down. This isn't what you think. I promise.”

Her voice was soft, pleading. Had there been any other noises when she spoke, I'm sure that I wouldn't have heard a word of it. I met her eyes, trying to push back the tears that were threatening to spill. This was too much to handle, and my emotions were getting the best of me. I tried my best to push all thoughts of Quinn aside, but that damn dream just wouldn't let me. After the dream, I struggled to focus on other things—making friends, building a real relationship with Hadley. But now, she was back. This wasn't a dream that I could push aside. She was here, beside me. I looked up at her, and spoke so softly that I'm sure Brittany and Santana hadn't heard a word of it.

“Why should I trust you?”

She looked down at the ground, and then back at me. Her grip on my arm loosened, and her arm fell slowly back to her side.

“Please. I just—there's something I need to—I came here to--” She growled in frustration and rubbed her fingers over her eyes.

“Ugh, for the love of—Berry, just sit down. We gots some things we needs to say, and if Q here could stop stuttering like a horny teenage boy, we could get the show on the road. Ain't that right, Quinnie?”

Quinn's head whipped towards Santana, glare firmly in place. Santana put her hands up in mock surrender, and scoffed loudly. “Whatevs. Try to help people, and this is what you get. Unbelievable!” Santana continued muttering to herself until Brittany finally placed a hand over her mouth. 

Quinn turned back to me, the glare nowhere to be seen. She cleared her throat and began speaking.

“There are some things I'd like to say to you. If you don't want to hear them, I'll understand. I don't expect you to trust me, but I'd like for you to listen. Is that...is that okay?”

I averted my eyes, and weighed my options. I could leave the room and find Hadley, and leave Quinn firmly in the past, never knowing what it was she was going to say to me. Or, I could sit down and listen to her say whatever it was she needed to say. This could all be another ruse to hurt me, and I would be walking right into it. Every part of me was screaming for me to leave the room and find Hadley, forgetting that Quinn Fabray ever existed. Every part of me wanted to say no—every part but the organ in my chest that was currently beating a mile a minute. I glanced up at her, and gave a brief nod. I headed towards my bed, and slowly sat down. I looked to where she was still standing, her back towards me. Her shoulders relaxed, and she finally turned around. She looked over at Santana who gave a quick nod.

“B, let's bounce for a bit. Let Quinn do her thing. I'll go behind the school and meet you on the track. Ya dig?”

Brittany giggled softly and kissed Santana's cheek. They both got up; Santana headed towards the window, throwing one last cautious glance towards Quinn, and then she was gone. Brittany walked up to me and leaned in for a brief hug, which I returned immediately. She smiled at Quinn and then made her way to the door. When I heard the soft click of the door being shut, I let out a deep breath and turned towards Quinn. 

Quinn walked over to Brittany's bed, and turned to face me. We sat there for what felt like hours, sending nervous glances each other's way. She finally sighed and jumped up, surprising me.

“This is so stupid. Why can I never say what I want to say? This shouldn't be hard.” She gritted her teeth together and closed her eyes. “Listen. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a bitch, and that I took my anger out on you. But Rachel, you're an easy target! If you had stood up for yourself, then none of this--”

“Excuse me? If I had stood up for myself?” I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I finally gave into an emotion that I rarely felt; anger.

“Please. Please tell me this is a joke, and that you don't really expect me to believe this. Day after day, I put up with all of you constantly tearing me down, and I'm the one to blame?”

Quinn clenched and unclenched her fists rapidly, and finally brought her hands behind her head. 

“This isn't how this was supposed to go. I had it all planned out...this isn't...this isn't what I wanted.”

She opened her eyes and walked up to me. She lifted her arms and made it seem like she was going to place them on my shoulders, but then thought better of it when she saw that I was almost shaking with anger. She let her arms drop with a sigh.

“I never wanted you to leave. You have to believe me when I say that it was never my intention. You just...you made me so damn angry! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to watch you, day after day, happy smile plastered to your face? Life was so easy for you! It wasn't fair. I just...I wanted someone, anyone, to feel worse than me. And you. You were such an easy target, Rachel. You just took everything that I threw at you, and you kept on smiling.” 

She walked past me and sat on my bed, and placed her head in her hands. Her next words were soft, but unbelievably clear.

“I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything.”

I stalked up to her, my hands on my hips.

“What kind of response is that, Quinn? You needed to tear me down to make yourself feel better? You know what else probably would have helped you? Having my friendship. I'm a great listener, Quinn. I would have been there for you when you needed me. Instead, you took the other route, and alienated and humiliated me, day after day. You know what kind of person does that? Someone who is broken.” 

My own words surprised me, and I brought my hand up immediately to cover my mouth. 

She looked up at me then, her green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I moved forward to give some sort of comfort, but she flinched back immediately.

“You don't have to...You're right, you know. I am. Broken.”

I shook my head quickly.

“No, Quinn. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry it came out like that, I really am-”

She wiped at her eyes and stood up quickly.

“Don't apologize, Rachel. Speaking your mind is a really big part of who you are.”

I began to protest, but thought better of it. She was right. I was born without a filter. After a moment if biting my lip, I was struck with another realization. My lips twitched in slight amusement, and Quinn noticed and raised her eyebrows in question.

“It's just...I realized something just now. I think that's the second time you've called me by my actual name. I think it's a record.”

Quinn let out a laugh that surprised me, but I smiled in return. The sound of it was, for lack of better words, simply beautiful.

“This is supposed to be a serious situation here. You're supposed to smack me, and tell me to get out. Not make me laugh.”

I walked over to where she was standing and motioned for her to sit once more. I took a seat beside her, and began speaking.

“I'm not going to tell you that I understand why you acted in such a way. I know that you were wrong in doing so. Whatever issues you may have going on, it's no excuse to take your problems out on someone else. You hurt me, and you hurt me badly. There was a point when I was actually scared to go to school. And look. This is what happened. Because of you and a few other people, I was forced to come here.”

She hung her head, unable to meet my eyes.

I took a deep breath and continued on. 

“I'm telling you, Quinn. It's a much better feeling to have friends that you can talk to, as opposed to taking your anger out on other people, just for that one single moment of satisfaction.”

She looked up at me then, her eyes tired.

“Are you saying you want to be my friend?”

...GLEE!

Brittany sat in the bleachers that were surrounding the track, waiting for Santana. The dark haired girl said she had a quick phone call to make, and then they could spend some quality macking time together. She put her arms around her body in an effort to stay warm, the night steadily getting colder. She was about to get up and look for the girl when a hand on her shoulder made her turn around. She smiled automatically, and turned around to see--

“Cameron. What are you doing out here?”

The girl in question crossed her arms in front of her.

“I could ask you the same question, you know. You wouldn't happen to be waiting for someone, now would you?”

Brittany bit her lip and turned away, praying that Santana would take her sweet time on the phone. She didn't want Santana to come out and see Cameron, and she really didn't want Cameron to see Santana. She knew it wouldn't end well for any of them.

“I'm just getting some air, that's all.”

Cameron's eyes studied Brittany for a moment before she sat down beside her. 

“It's nice to see you, Brittany. I miss the times when we would hang out together and talk.”

Brittany turned her head to face Cameron, doing her best to control her facial expressions. 

“You know that you ruined that for yourself. We could have been friends, but you wouldn't allow it.”

Cameron scoffed loudly. “I did what I did to protect you! That girl is bad news, plain and simple. She doesn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

Brittany stood up suddenly, her hands balled into fists by her side.

“Usually I'm the one who has problems understanding things. What don't you get? I love Santana. I love her with all my heart. You need to accept that!”

Cameron growled and stood up to face the fuming blonde. 

“She doesn't love you the way that I do!”

Brittany, caught off guard by the suddenly admittance, failed to notice that Cameron had stepped closer. What she did notice however, was the hands on the side of her face, and the feeling of lips that were foreign to her meeting her own. Unfortunately for Cameron, there was one other person who saw the interaction, and she wasn't happy. She rushed forward, her teeth grinding together in anger, and her hands balled tightly together. She stepped forward, and then--

SLAP!

The onlooker stopped suddenly, her jaw dropping in a comical fashion. 

Cameron stepped back, holding her wounded cheek. Brittany stood there, her eyes wide and completely unbelieving of what had just occurred. Before she could say anything, Cameron sent one final look her way, and then jogged back towards the dorms. Brittany's arm dropped slowly, and she brought her hand up to her own face, and studied it. A noise behind her made her turn around suddenly, and she began to cry.

“San, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to let her, she just did it, and then I hit her, and then--”

Santana wrapped her arms around the shaking girl and cooed softly into her ear.

“Brittany, you did the right thing. She had no right. She got off lucky though.”

Brittany pulled back and looked into Santana's loving eyes.

“Because I was about to break that bitch's goddamn nose.”

Brittany laughed suddenly, taking in Santana's serious tone. Her laughs steadily subsided, and she sat there in the comforting embrace of the latina girl.

“Let's go inside, BB. It's getting cold, and we gotta check on Q and Berry, see if they worked their shit out.”

Brittany sniffled and stood up, her side pressed against the shorter girl's.

“Quinn's been a sad ducky lately, hasn't she?”

Santana rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around the blonde.

“That's putting it lightly. I could think of a few things to call her.”

Brittany slapped Santana's shoulder lightly. “Be nice, San. You know how Quinn is. She's just like you. Super stubborn and scary on the outside, but pudding and fluff on the inside.”

Santana grumbled lightly before taking Brittany's hand.

“Okay, fine, whatever. Just don't tell anyone. And just so you know, I know that you told Berry about me. I saw the way she looked at me today. Totally judging and whatnot, and definitely not scared.”

“San, I didn't mean to, I just thought that it would help--”

“Britts. I'm not mad. I want her to know that I'm here if she needs me. And I don't want her to be scared of me anymore. I kind of really want to be her friend. Goddamn, that is sappy and gross and I will never say it again.” Brittany squeezed Santana's hand, and they made their way back to Brittany's room.

 

...GLEE!

 

“Are you saying you want to be my friend?”

I stood up, unable to answer her right away.

Is that what I wanted? Did her friendship really mean anything to me anymore? As I looked into her eyes, one thing was painfully obvious; Quinn was lost, and she needed someone. Though she had a school full of people that she could turn to, she came to me. Quinn Fabray needed me.

“I don't trust you. I don't know if I ever will, really. You've said and done so many hurtful things. You can't blame me if I feel slightly thrown by what you've said.”

Quinn's head dropped once more, her eyes studying the floor intently.

“But I am a firm believer in second chances. If you're serious about this...then I'm willing to give it a shot. I became more acquainted with Santana, and I found out that she really is just a kind person underneath all of that attitude.”

Before Quinn was able to respond, a loud whining noise came from the window.

“See, Britts? I told you this was gonna happen! She totally doesn't take me seriously anymore.”

I looked over to see Santana standing near the window, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. I swear she was this close to stomping her foot.

“In all seriousness though, we gotta bounce on out of here, Q. I just ran into that bitch across the hall, and almost introduced her to my fist.”

I looked at Brittany questioningly, but she shook her head and mouthed 'later.'

Quinn stood up and walked over to where Santana was standing. She met my eyes hesitatingly, and smiled slightly.

“I do. I want to try. I don't really know where to start..but I'd really like to try. All I know is that when you left, things weren't the same. Something in me...shifted. I want to know what that was.”

She took a deep breath and took a step forward. Her voice was small, timid. The voice of a child asking permission.

“Thank you. For giving me this chance.” 

I met her eyes, registering the sincerity in them. I took a step forward, and put my hand out.

“I know where we can start. I'm hoping this works for you as well. My name is Rachel Berry, and it's nice to meet you.”

Quinn's eyes widened, and she gave me yet another rare smile.

“My name is Quinn Fabray. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you.”

Our hands met, and I felt an immediate jolt of electricity run between us. Quinn must have felt it too, because the shock was evident on her face. Our hands stayed together longer than was necessary, neither one of us ready to pull away. What...was that?

Santana walked up to Quinn and grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Q. Another time. Berry will be here. My patience, not so much.”

Quinn looked at me for a minute longer before turning to the impatient cheer leader. 

“Fine, let's go. You know, you really need to work on--”

“Don't tell me what to do, Blondie. If you hadn't taken so much time, I wouldn't--”

“What did you just call me? I know you don't want to go there--”

Their squabbling continued until they were both outside. I looked after Quinn as she and Santana made their way to her car. She sent me one last look and a small wave before jumping inside. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Brittany smiling.

“You know, once you get past all of their arguing, they're actually kind of charming.”

I quirked my brow up and looked back down at my hand, remembering but not quite understanding what had just happened between us. A small smile played on my lips as I brought my hand to the side of my face.

“Yes. Charming, indeed.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Yes. Charming indeed.”

As I watched Quinn's retreating form, I couldn't help but smile. Quinn Fabray wanted to be my friend. The one thing that I thought to be impossible was suddenly becoming very real and true. 

From the moment I met Quinn, I thought that she was magnificent. She had a fierce passion that I rarely saw in anyone but myself. I made it my goal to learn more about her, in hopes of becoming her friend. This proved to be a difficult task because, as I soon realized, Quinn had built mile high walls around herself. Ever the determined one, I made it a point to make Quinn realize that someone noticed her, and someone cared. Whether it be a casual nod of the head in the hallway, or an all out wave in glee club, I wanted-, no, needed- Quinn to see that I was here, and I was open to her friendship. 

Quinn had responded only a handful of times to my advances, but they were well worth the wait. She would catch my eyes briefly when she thought no one else was looking, and it never failed to take my breath away. In that brief second in time, I knew I was catching a rare glimpse of the real girl underneath the scowl, and she was beautiful. Just when I thought that we were making progress, she'd shut me down, and send sort of insult my way. Although it hurt, I never gave up hope that I could one day call us friends. 

Watching her perform in glee club helped me to better understand the blonde Cheerio. I saw a sadness in her eyes that I'm sure every other member of the club missed, and it broke my heart. This greatly changed the way that I viewed Quinn. My casual glances turned into minute long stares. I usually caught myself before anyone noticed, but it was becoming harder and harder to tear my eyes away. 

When Quinn was performing, she bared her heart and soul; it was the only time that Quinn seemed to fully drop her defenses, and leave herself vulnerable. Her songs never failed to bring tears to my eyes. It wasn't long before I realized that the feelings that I harbored were slowly changing and becoming deeper and more complicated. 

The way I looked at Quinn changed considerably, and I was scared. I was already a social outcast. If someone were to catch me leering, my life at McKinley would only worsen. Day after day we would go through the motions; I'd catch her attention, and she would look away. I'd be focused on something, and I'd suddenly feel the weight of her eyes baring down on me. The day eventually came that someone besides Quinn noticed, as I knew it would. Personally I always thought it would be Santana who would be the one to blow up the entire charade, but it wasn't. David Karofsky, the beast of a football player, was the one to so carelessly end the fantasy that I had embedded in my mind. And now...here I was.

I tried to put Quinn Fabray behind me, along with all of the feelings that I had developed. But now Quinn was here, saying many of the things that I envisioned her saying in the past. And my feelings for her... did they still exist? As I thought back to my dream, I took in a sharp breath and closed my eyes. Her embrace, her love, holding me tightly. My chest constricted at the thought of her holding me so, her breath a bare whisper on the back of my neck, sending chills down the length of my body. I believe it was safe to say that yes, these feelings still existed, and were apparently stronger than ever. 

What this meant for Quinn and myself, and more importantly, Hadley and myself, I had no idea. Wanting people that I couldn't have was definitely nothing new for me. People wanting me? Completely unheard of. That is, until now. Though I was thoroughly confused by occurrences as of late, I knew I wanted to give Hadley and myself a chance. There was a certain chemistry between us that I never had the chance to feel with Quinn, and truthfully, I wanted to give us the chance to bloom into something more. 

I let out a small sigh and turned my eyes towards Brittany. She stood there, gazing outside to where Quinn and Santana were previously standing, a lovestruck, dreamy look on her face. The look she was wearing was something I could only hope to mimic in the future.

Brittany turned to me and smiled.

“I'm really happy that you guys are gonna be friends, Rachel. Quinn is pretty stubborn just like San, and I think it's cause she's missing half of herself.”

My eyebrows knitted together slightly as I tried to figure out what it was she was trying to say.

“I'm not quite sure I understand, Brittany.”

Brittany shook her head slightly and smiled, as if to say “Why am I the only wise one here?”

“It's simple, Rach. See, before I met San, I was only half a person, and she was too. When we found each other, we became one person. She's my other half. Quinn is a half person, too. Even when she was with Finn, she was still only half. I think that's why she so sad all the time. People spend their lives looking for the other half of themselves, so that they can be whole again.”

Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight that shone through the window. 

“You're only half of yourself too, Rachel, but I think that's gonna change really soon.”

I smiled when I took in everything that she said, and finally understood. The girl was truly a genius. 

“Well, I hope so too, Brittany. I mean, I have my date with Hadley tonight, so-”

Brittany frowned automatically.

“Hadley? No, I meant—never mind.”

A part of me wanted to ask Brittany what she really meant, but I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I would be going on a date tonight. An actual date, with a beautiful girl who, more importantly, wanted to go on a date with me.

I turned to Brittany, my eyes wide. 

“I have a date tonight. A real date. What do I wear? Should I wear a dress? Should I wear pants? What if she doesn't like-”

Brittany quickly put her hand over my mouth, and I was silenced immediately.

“Calm down, Rachel. You sounded like you were about to explode or something.”

I closed my eyes and dropped back onto my bed loudly, groaning to myself.

“It'll be okay, Rach. You're going to one of our cheer meets tomorrow, right? I'm sure she'll give you the details then, like whether to be casual or dressy.”

I sat back up and huffed. She had a point. I could always ask Hadley.

“I suppose you're right. Hmm. I wonder what she has planned. Brittany, what's the most romantic thing Santana has done for you?”

Brittany sighed contentedly and hugged a pillow to her chest.

“The most romantic thing Sanny did for me...Well, this one time she called me and told me she needed help with her report on cats, so I rushed right over. I knocked on the door, but no one answered, so I let myself in like I usually would. This time, her parents weren't there to greet me, it was all pretty quiet and stuff. She had set up a trail of roses that led to the bathroom. When I went inside, I saw that the lights were dimmed, and there were little candles surrounding the tub.”

Brittany paused in her Berry sized rant and smiled widely. 

“Next to the tub was a little note that said 'get comfortable,' so I hopped in. The water was nice and warm, and filled with the bubble bath beads that I love.”

I hummed softly, completely engrossed in her reenactment. 

“That sounds wonderful, Brittany. Who knew Santana was such a romantic?”

Brittany nodded and continued on.

“That's not all she did. After I sat in the bath for a while, she came in and started massaging my shoulders, and we eventually took a bath together. When we finally got out of the water, she told me that she had made dinner, and that she'd bring it to me. We sat in her room, taking turns feeding each other. After we were done eating, we laid down and—”

I put my hands up to stop her, just in case this was headed in an R-rated direction.

“--and we cuddled. She sang a Spanish lullaby that she knows I love, and we cuddled until we fell asleep.”

By the time she was done, my jaw was nearly to the ground.

“That's...that's beautiful, Brittany. I can only hope that I'm lucky enough to have someone do something even half as romantic as that.”

Brittany's eyes sparkled briefly before she turned away, heading to her closet. She grabbed her pajamas and turned around, getting ready for bed. Even though she was facing away from me, I could hear the smile on her face.

“You know, Q is an even bigger romantic than San. They used to fight over who had the better ideas, and San would always get really red in the face because Quinn always had these really awesome plans. She'd get this look in her eyes like she was really far away when she talked about how she would put her plans into motion, and how she'd make that person fall in love with her. I remember that San always said that if Q had such good ideas, then why didn't she use them on someone. Quinn would always give a little smile and say that she hadn't found the right person yet. I don't know about Hadley, but, you know, in case you were wondering. Quinn is a really sweet romantic at heart, even though she pretends like she doesn't care.”

I cleared my throat nervously and fiddled with the strings on my comforter. It seemed that my assumptions of Quinn were true. I always had this scenario in my head that Quinn was the type of person to sweep her lover off of their feet with old fashioned romantic gestures. She was intelligent, beautiful, and apparently had the ability to be incredibly sweet.

“Brittany, why are you telling me this? I mean, it's not like this is applicable to me. I could understand telling someone who was romantically entangled with Quinn, but I assure you--”

“Rachel. You don't have to explain or anything. I totally saw the way you were looking at Quinn when she came here with Santana, and I saw the way that she was looking at you. It was pretty intense.”

I turned to her, trying my best to keep the shocked look off of my face. I wasn't sure what to do. I could lie to Brittany and tell her that she was seeing things, or I could tell her the truth, and finally gain some perspective on what I was feeling. If I was lucky enough, I'd gain some closure as well.

“The things...that I felt for Quinn don't really matter anymore. They're in the past. They have to be.”

Brittany quirked her brow, confusion etched onto her face.

“I don't understand. Why would you want to forget about your feelings?”

I sat up quickly and placed my head in my hands, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

“You'll have to excuse me, Brittany. I've never said any of these things out loud. I mean, I tried to rationalize it to myself, but I've never once told anyone else.”

Brittany frowned and moved to sit next to me. She placed her hand on my back and began to rub small circles.

“You shouldn't be scared of your feelings, Rachel. They're a really big part of who you are, and you shouldn't be scared of yourself.”

I leaned into her touch and sighed softly.

“I don't know why I fell for Quinn. I mean, I do; her passion, her beauty, her intellect. But what I feel goes against all reason. She was so cruel, but when she took the time to smile my way, I felt myself falling for her all over again.”

Brittany nodded knowingly and placed her chin on my shoulder.

“You said feel, not felt. You haven't been able to get rid of those feelings, have you?”

I figured that my lack of response was enough to answer her question.

“I did! I mean, I thought I did, but then she showed up with that perfect smile and those beautiful green eyes, and I once again lost my resolve, and I fell hard. She has so much power over me, and she doesn't even realize it.”

Brittany was silent for a moment, probably trying to take in everything that I was saying.

“Rachel, can I ask you something kinda sorta personal? I think I already know the answer, but I'd still like to ask. Did you—no, do you—do you love Quinn?”

My chest clenched tightly as I lost the ability to breathe. Without realizing it, tears had begun to gather in the corner of my eyes, and I finally knew the answer to her question. I looked to meet Brittany's clear blue eyes, my mouth opening and closing but producing no words.

She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and brought me in close. The small squeeze she gave me told me that she understood—no words were needed. With Brittany's question answered, I realized that I had one for myself.

Just how long had I been in love with Quinn Fabray?

 

...GLEE!

 

Though both occupants of the car were currently silent, thoughts flew through their heads at lightning speed. The darker haired girl began tapping her fingers on her knee, trying to decide how to proceed with what she wanted to say.

“Q?”

A tired response. “Yeah, S?”

“What was that in there. With Berry.”

Quinn's eyes shifted to the side to look at Santana, and then focused on the road.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Santana let out a noise of irritation before going back to tapping.

“We're best friends. We're supposed to tell each other everything. At least, I thought we were.”

Quinn groaned loudly before pulling off the side of the road, parking the car.

“I do tell you everything. Even when I manage to keep something from you, you figure it out anyway. If that doesn't scream 'best friends,' then I don't know what does. You already know everything concerning Rachel.”

Santana pulled the lever on the bottom of her chair, allowing her to recline backwards. She placed her arms behind her head, and closed her eyes.

“Q. I know there's more to tell. I saw the way you looked at Berry, and I saw the way she was looking at you. I know you were like, totally messed up when she left, but I don't know all the reasons why. You get me?”

Quinn mirrored Santana's position and relaxed into the back of the chair.

“You know I'm no good with this stuff. Any of it. I'm sure there's some scientific term out there for how I treated Rachel, and why I did it. I was scared. I was scared because she was one of the few people who was starting to see the real me. You and Brittany are really the only two who know me that well, and when I found out that a third person was starting to understand, Rachel Berry, of all people, I just couldn't handle it. I lashed out. I tried to hurt her, because I couldn't stand the idea of her seeing behind my mask. How many kinds of fucked up is that exactly?”

Santana turned to her best friend, a rare show of concern in her eyes that was reserved especially for the two important blondes in her life.

“Quinn, it's not fucked up. People react in different ways. Berry went peeping where she shouldn't have been peeping....big surprise.... and you tried to put a stop to it.”

Quinn leaned forward and placed her head on the steering wheel, trying her best to keep her emotions intact.

“She just wouldn't stop. She was relentless. Berry really doesn't know when to take a hint. I was so mean to her, Santana. You were so mean to her, just because I told you to be. After all of the abuse, she kept coming back to me, all because she wanted to be my friend. Why the hell couldn't I just let her, Santana? I probably would have been better off.”

Santana put a hand on Quinn's shoulder in an effort to comfort her. The blonde girl let out a heavy breath, and wiped at the moisture in her eyes.

“She would have been the only good thing in my life, the only right thing, and I threw that away like it was nothing. I think that maybe I do deserve to be miserable. She's probably better off without me, anyway.”

Santana rolled her eyes and poked Quinn hard in the side.

“Quit it with the pity party, Fabray. For whatever reason, Rachel wants you, and I know that you want Rachel. If that little show in Britt's room didn't prove it, then my name isn't Santana-goddamn-Lopez.”

Quinn turned to Santana, a questioning look in her eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

Santana sat back up and began fixing her hair.

“I don't know what you mean. Hey, it's getting kinda late, maybe we should--”

“Santana! What did you mean?”

The girl in question pouted her lower lip and shook her head.

“I knew I shouldn't have said anything. Okay listen. We're best friends, yeah? I got your back, you got mine, the whole shebang, right?”

Quinn didn't see how this had to do with anything, but she found herself nodding anyway.

“Okay, great. I need to ask you something, and I need you to promise me that you'll answer me honestly, and not run away. Cool?”

Quinn once again nodded and motioned for Santana to finish what she was saying.

“Okay, so. You bullied Rachel because she was starting to see the real you, as you put it. Berry wouldn't quit, and kept going back for more, which I'm sure a part of you kind of enjoyed. You two do your thing back and forth, 'oh, I want to be your friend, oh no, I'm protecting you by pushing you away,' blah blah. Finally, Berry leaves, and something in you...shall we say, snapped. You were mopey and depressed, wouldn't eat. Pretty much zero fun to be around. Anywho. You find out where Berry went, and suddenly things are looking up. You both have the same weird reaction to each other, and now here we are.”

Quinn's head dropped when Santana finished her rant.

“That's it? Are you kidding me? You pretty much just summarized--”

“I want to know how long, Quinn. How long have you been in love with Rachel Berry?”

Both Santana and Quinn were glad that they were currently parked, because they both suspected that had Quinn been driving when Santana asked her question, they'd probably be in a very intimate position with a tree. 

“Where did that even come from? Why did you ask me that? Where do you get off--”

“Stop, Quinn. You don't have to lie to me. I have eyes. I saw the way you two looked at one another. I know damn well that that's how I look at Britt, and that's how she looks at me.”

Quinn remained silent, so Santana kept talking.

“You never for one second looked at Finn like that. It's always been about Berry, and I think I'm starting to see why.”

Quinn sniffled softly and looked up at Santana, her eyes red and puffy.

“I tried...I tried so hard to push those feelings aside. I thought that if I was mean enough, I could get her to hate me and I could stop feeling like this. I thought that when she left, I'd be happy; free, even. But I wasn't. I was in so much pain when I found out she was gone, and I couldn't figure out why. It was like I lost a piece of myself, a piece I never really knew was a part of me until it was gone, you know?”

Santana nodded sagely, and handed her friend a tissue.

“Actually, I do. You should talk to Brittany sometime. She has this amazing theory that I think will explain some things to you.”

Quinn laughed slightly at that. If anyone were to understand her situation, she was sure it would be Brittany and her infinite wisdom. 

“Without a doubt, you now know everything concerning Rachel. My question to you is, what now? Where do I go from here?”

Santana put her finger to her lip, chewing lightly on the nail.

“With our powers combined, we shall make...Faberry. You know, Fabray, Berry. It's pretty clever, right? Okay, guess you don't agree. My point is, we get you two together, like you should have been from the start, and then everyone is happy.”

Quinn was about to agree when she was hit with another thought.

“What if that isn't what she wants? I'm serious, Santana. She might really only want my friendship.”

Santana chuckled and shook her head.

“Oh no, my little pressed lemon. I haz me some gaydar, and it was going through the roof when I looked at Berry. Oh, and also her leering at your ass. That was pretty gay too.”

Quinn turned a bright shade of red and started her car quickly. Santana managed to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the drive..at least until Quinn's barely audible 'was she really looking?' broke through the silence. Then Santana just lost it.

 

...GLEE!

 

How long. How long had I been in love with Quinn, and why hadn't I noticed it sooner? I knew from the moment that I met Quinn that I felt something more for her—far more than I should have. When exactly did those feelings evolve and become something stronger?

I turned to Brittany, the thoughts in my head swirling about , leaving me feeling slightly dizzy.

“What should I do, Brittany? I've never experienced anything like this. I'm not too sure about the appropriate course of action in regards to this type of situation.”

Brittany cocked her head to the side, a stern look on her face.

“You do exactly what you were going to do. You go on your date with Hadley, and you build a friendship with Quinn. I think that things will sort themselves out, Rachel. They always do. If you and Q are meant to be, then it'll happen.”

It was such a simple answer. Why I couldn't have figured it out was well beyond me.

“What if I can't get past Quinn? What if I never fall...fall out of love with her.”

Brittany giggled and hopped into her bed.

“The you guys will totally date and make really cute singing-cheering lady babies. Oh, but before that, you guys have to go on tons of double dates with San and me. It's like, a rule or something. Good night, Rachel! Have pleasant Quinn filled dreams!”

I rolled over onto my side, trying to tell myself that it did no good to worry over things that I couldn't control. The situation was out of my hands now, and I was going to go along for the ride, for better or for worse. 

 

...GLEE!

The sunlight shone brightly through our open blinds, causing me to stir immediately. I sat up and yawned, wondering why I was so tired, and then it hit me. Today was my date with Hadley, and it was also the day that I got to see Quinn. I looked over at Brittany who, unsurprisingly, was still snoring away.

I hopped up and ran over to her bed, this time with a real cause to wake up the blonde.

“Brittany, hey, wake up. I think we overslept. We have to go to cheer practice. You need to cheer, and I need to watch! Brittany Pierce, you wake up this instant!”

Brittany stirred slowly beneath the blanket, and finally opened her eyes.

“Rach? Is that you? It's okay, I set the clock forward. We still have some time.” She got up slowly and walked towards the bathroom. When I heard the shower turn on, I jumped into action, getting ready myself. I threw on the Dalton uniform, smoothing down the creases. I checked my hair numerous times in the mirror, and finally smiled at my reflection. I was ready. I could do this. It was just cheerleading practice. All I had to do was watch, and well, cheer when it was appropriate.

15 minutes later, Brittany emerged from the bathroom, looking refreshed and ready to start her day. She groaned softly as she put her pony tail up high.

“I don't know why I bother showering. I'm just gonna get all sweaty again. Our cheer coach may not be Sue Sylvester, but she definitely isn't a pushover.”

I 'aww'ed' at Brittany and pulled her into a hug, trying to get rid of the pout that had erupted on her face.

“It'll be okay. Get through this practice and I'll treat you to some vegan friendly ice cream! How does that sound?”

If possible, Brittany's pout deepened as she pulled out of my grasp.

“That's uh...super nice of you Rachel, but I think I'll pass. Besides, someone has a date tonight.”

I blushed immediately and headed for the door.

“No more talk of that. Right now I want to focus on making it through this cheer practice in one piece. It's bad enough that I'll be surrounded by girls in their skimpy cheer uniforms, and on top of that, sweaty cheerleaders in skimpy uniforms. My god, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I've been taken over by a teenage boy.”

Brittany smiled flirtatiously before skipping over to me.

“Rach, are you like hitting on me? I know you have a thing for blondes, but I'm already spoken for.”

My hands immediately went to my hips as I prepared to scold her.

“Brittany S. Pierce, you take that back this instant! If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was in the room with Santana right now.”

The tall blonde collapsed into a fit of giggles and shoved my shoulder playfully.

“I'm just kidding, Rach. And yes, San may have told me to say that. Just stop worrying, okay? It's like, way bad for your skin. You're gonna watch us cheer, then you'll go on an awesome date with Hadley, and then you get to see Q. It's going to be a great day for you. You're gonna be like, surrounded by super hotties, you little stud.”

I groaned loudly as I followed her outside. It seemed that Santana had rubbed off on Brittany in the worst of ways.

When the field came into view, I let out a sound of awe. The cheerleaders were already practicing, their movements perfectly in sync. I don't know if it was the color of their uniform, or the sheer amount of cheerleaders lined up, but they were definitely a little more than threatening.

Brittany shot me a thumbs up and ran ahead to join the others. She jumped in line next to Cameron, who looked like she was about to faint. Our eyes met briefly, mine filled with an unsaid warning, and hers apologetic. I huffed and turned away, scanning over the other cheerleaders. Most of them I recognized from the hallways, and some faces were foreign to me.

Without warning, all of the cheerleaders jumped into a perfectly formed line, staring forward, completely unmoving. I looked on in awe, wondering if time had stopped. Really, I don't even think they were blinking. Before I was able to take a step forward to investigate, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Hadley walked forward, a stern look on her face. I didn't think it was possible, but once she appeared, the cheerleader's backs straightened up even more, and they became increasingly more statuesque. 

I followed Hadley unabashedly; just her presence on the field was overwhelmingly powerful, and it demanded my full attention. 

She looked up and met my eyes, a small smirk playing on her lips. I tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear and looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed after having stared her down. She finally looked away, her eyes baring down on the cheerleaders.

“Alright, Oreos. You know the drill. Nothing less than perfect. I want the 7th routine, done the way the was meant to be done. You screw up, you'll be doing suicides the entire night.”

Though I found her words to be downright frightening, I could see the looks of respect and admiration on the faces of each cheerleader. Hadley was indeed a great leader, and clearly well respected by her peers.

I sat in the bleachers, watching the cheerleaders practice, beads of perspiration running down each one of their faces. Hadley was in front of them, determination in her eyes. They all moved perfectly together, like a well oiled machine.

“Pierce, Ramirez, Wilson. Perfect, as usual. Montgomery, Hart, Davis. Very sloppy—you can go begin your suicides.”

There was no complaining from the three girls that were called out. They nodded at Hadley and began their laps. It was at this point that I was overjoyed that I wasn't the athletic type; just watching them was enough to wear me out.

When the Oreos started to disperse, Hadley grabbed a towel to wipe her face, and started walking in my direction. Her smile was contagious; the stern look had completely dissipated, and she was now giving me a very bright—albeit exhausted-- smile. 

“You came. I'm glad.”

I smiled shyly and reached for the towel. Ever so carefully, I moved the piece of cloth across her brow, wiping away the excess moisture.

“Of course I came. That was magnificent. The way you controlled the field, and the way they looked to you for guidance; it was wonderful to watch. Thank you for inviting me.”

Hadley smiled down at me and gently took the almost sodden towel from my hands.

“Eh, I went easy on them. They've been doing a great job lately, and I didn't want anyone passing out while you were watching. You probably wouldn't have liked that too much.”

I swatted at her shoulder playfully, and then straightened up when I remembered that I had something important to ask her.

“So, Hadley, about our date tonight...”

When a look of worry crossed her face, I tried to backpedal quickly.

“No, no, it's nothing bad. I just want to know what I should wear, that's all. I'd like to be dressed accordingly for the atmosphere.”

She relaxed a bit then, relief covering her face.

“Well, I was thinking maybe we could have a picnic, and maybe get to know each other better. How does that sound?”

Dressing for a picnic was something I was sure I could manage. 

“That sounds great, actually.”

She nodded quickly and then glanced around nervously. 

“There's something I'd like you to do for me. I hope I'm not being too forward or anything, but...I'd like you to wear this tonight.”

She walked over to the locker area and grabbed an article of clothing from within. She walked back to me, a nervous smile on her face. I reached out slowly and took the item from her.

“It's my Letterman. I'd really like for you to wear it. It's just...I think it would look good on you. It might be slightly too large on you, but it's comfortable.”

The jacket in question was in the style of that of the Cheerios back at McKinley. The jacket itself was black with white lettering on the hood, with the word 'Oreos' in big block letters; on the breast pocket was “Wilde, #27” in flowing cursive script.

“You...you want me to wear this?”

Hadley kicked lightly at the ground, looking like a timid child.

“Well, yeah. I don't know. I just thought--”

“It's lovely. Thank you Hadley. So, what time shall I be expecting you?”

The timid girl disappeared, and she was looking more like the confident girl that I had gotten to know.

“Well, I figured I could go shower and change while you go get ready, and I'll come get you. Maybe in an hour or so?”

I nodded that that was fine, and smiled when she moved to place the jacket around my shoulders. I hugged the jacket close, inhaling the light scent of vanilla that seemed to be Hadley's and Hadley's alone. 

We walked back to our respective rooms in a comfortable silence, arm in arm. I smiled and gave a small wave when we arrived, suddenly very excited for our picnic. Even before I entered our room, I heard the sounds of excited chatter from within. When I entered, I was once again rendered breathless.

“Hey what's up, midge! We were just talking about you!”

I walked forward, fully intending on scolding Santana for using a nickname that made fun of my height, but I just couldn't seem to get the words out with Quinn staring at me the way she was.

“Quinn...Hello. It's nice to see you again.”

She stood up and walked towards me, her green eyes more alive than I had ever seen them before. She was dressed in her Cheerios uniform, but her hair, instead of being in its usual tight pony, was now cascading down her shoulders, framing her face.

“Hi, Rachel. Listen, I'm sorry about...” she motioned to herself and Santana. “Well, I'm sorry about this. I know we weren't supposed to show up until later, but I really wanted to...uhm..” She took a deep breath and looked to where Santana was sitting, as if for confirmation. “I wanted to see you.”

I blinked numerous times, wondering if I was dreaming. 

“Well, Quinn, I...I'm really glad you're here.” 

We stood there staring at each other, our eye contact unbroken until Brittany bounded into the room, right into my arms.

“Rachel! What are you doing back so early? Aren't you supposed to be on your date?”

Brittany clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had just said, and I looked to Quinn to gauge her reaction. The eyes that were once a calm green were now a complete hurricane of emotions; Quinn looked everywhere but at me, that is, until she noticed what I was wearing.

“You're...you're going on a date. With who? What—why. Why are you wearing that jacket, Rachel. Who does it belong to? Take it off.” 

Before I was able to respond, I heard the door open and shut quickly behind us. I turned around to see Hadley standing there, her eyes focused completely on Quinn.

“Well, I believe the answer to all of your questions would in fact be me. My, it's been such a long time. Hello, Lucy.”


	9. Chapter 9

The tension in the air was thick and I was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. For nearly a full minute, no words were spoken. Quinn and Hadley were staring at each other like two predators fighting over a piece of meat. Brittany had retreated to where Santana was currently sitting, her eyes looking on worriedly. The Latina had her arms wrapped protectively around Brittany's waist, her eyes moving slowly between Hadley and Quinn, and finally resting on me. Our eyes met, and for once in my life I felt like the two of us were on the same page. Neither one of us knew what was going to happen next, and it was a very discomforting feeling.

Quinn had been perfectly at ease when I first entered the room, going so far as to greet me and apologize for being early. She had apologized, not because she didn't want to be here, but for wanting to see me sooner. Not once in our sordid past could I recall an instance in which Quinn Fabray had apologized to me, nor could I recall a point in which Quinn had seemed so nervous in my presence. As soon as Hadley had entered the room, that perfect image had faded completely. Quinn's defenses had gone up immediately, and she had acquired a look one might find on a rabid dog. It seemed the HBIC had emerged from her slumber, and was ready for whatever was thrown her way. 

Hadley, when she had walked back into the room, was wearing a look completely different from the one that I had seen her leave with. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if I was fond of the look she was currently wearing. Her eyes had a hardness to them that I had yet to experience, and it almost frightened me. With two of the four cheer leaders currently glaring daggers at one another, it was as if I had never left McKinley, and it was starting to annoy me. Why couldn't things go smoothly for once? I looked to the floor, afraid to make any sudden movements, and began to think about why it was the two of them had reacted this way. Hadley had called Quinn 'Lucy.' The only Lucy I had ever heard her mention was the girl who...who beat her at cheer leading and singing, and forced her to transfer. Lucy...was Quinn? It seemed that I wasn't the only person to have their life turned completely upside down by Quinn Fabray. 

I cleared my throat softly and instantly regretted it, feeling the way a goldfish might in a tank full of piranha.

“Hadley, hello. So...I gather that no introductions are required?” I let out a small laugh, trying to ease my nerves. 

I looked up at Hadley who had yet to look away from Quinn. Quinn stood still, her shoulders squared and her chest puffed out. I couldn't know for sure, but I'd bet my Barbra collection that neither one of them had yet to blink.

“Oh, I know Lucy very well, and I'm sure she remembers me. Don't you, Lucy? Or is it Quinn now?” Hadley's clear voice broke through the silence, causing me to take in a large breath. Something was telling me that this encounter wasn't going to go well, and that I should be prepared to flee if opportunity arose. I looked to Quinn, who up until now had barely moved a muscle. 

“Hadley, it's been a long time. Though you are in fact a person who is easy to forget, I still have the image of you ingrained in my head of always falling short.”

Santana let out a bark of laughter which was immediately silenced by a stern glare from Brittany. I turned to Quinn, shock on my face.

“Quinn! That was completely uncalled for!”

For a brief moment Quinn looked almost ashamed, her head turned to the side, unable to meet my eyes. Hadley laughed softly and stepped forward.

“Rachel, it's fine. I've come to expect this from her. Changing your name doesn't change the person underneath. It seems that she's the same stuck up bitch that she was all those years ago.”

For the second time, I turned to face her, my expression aghast. 

“Hadley! I understand that you and Quinn have had a rocky past, but perhaps you could attempt to at least be civil?”

Hadley crossed her arms over her chest and turned to me, an argument on her lips. Before she was able to speak, Quinn stepped forward, smirking widely.

“Are you kidding me? You told her about all of that stuff? What's the matter, needed a pity party to keep you going?” Quinn kept on smirking, feeling ever the victor when Hadley failed to respond. I kept my eyes trained on Quinn to gauge her reactions, and if I was right, then she'd be reacting just about...

Now. 

A look of concern came over Quinn's face, instantly shattering her bravado act. She did her best to hide it, but I could tell that inside she was panicking. 

“Wait...you told her everything?” Quinn bit her lip nervously and then hazarded a glance in my direction. From her tone, I could hear that she was trying to maintain her tough act, but with each second that passed, it was starting to fail her.

“Rachel, listen. That was...that was a long time ago. I was a different person then.” Her words were sped up, her tone becoming nearly frantic. Her hazel eyes met mine, begging me to understand. The longer I kept her gaze, the more I felt my anger softening. I wanted to step forward to reassure her, to comfort her, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me from moving. I looked up at Hadley, who was currently wearing a confused expression.

“Rachel, is she the reason you had to leave your school? Oh wait. Let me guess. It was Santana and Quinn, once again double teaming. How unoriginal.” When I lowered my head to the ground in response, Hadley let out an incredulous laugh. When she looked up at Quinn, all humor was gone from her eyes, and her tone was low and threatening.

“Please enlighten me Quinn. Why is it exactly that you're here? Tell me it isn't because you grew bored of the lack of people left to bully, so you decided to follow Rachel? If that's it, then you can leave right now, because I won't let that happen.” 

Quinn let her eyes drop to the jacket I was wearing, the fire in her eyes igniting once more. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden show of fury in her eyes, and my words stopped right along with it. Quinn's soft voice broke through the tension, knocking me out of my reverie. 

“Rachel. Tell me you aren't...with her. Please tell me you haven't lowered yourself that far. You can do better than her, Rachel. Listen to me. She isn't worth your time.” Quinn was staring at me hard, waiting for a response. When Hadley wrapped her arm around my shoulders, I released a deep breath, still unable to speak. Quinn glared heatedly at the arm around me, her jaw set and teeth clenched together. I had never seen Quinn act in such a way, and was slowly becoming more and more worried.

“Suddenly it all seems so clear. Did you ever get the chance to tell her? How you really feel?”

Quinn immediately looked down, her cheeks lightly flushed. When she looked back up, her eyes were steely, and completely devoid of emotion. I looked between the two of them, my confusion obvious. What was she talking about? Tell who how she felt about what?

Hadley smirked and then looked at me. She put her finger under my chin and tilted my head up. Before I could register what was happening, a soft pair of lips met with my own. Completely forgetting about the other people in the room, I moaned softly. When I remembered that we weren't alone, I pulled away immediately, blushing furiously. 

I brought my fingers to my lips slowly, and then met Quinn's eyes. I regretted it instantly. Her eyes were once again in a state of flux, barely able to meet my own. The anger seemed to radiate off of her in waves, and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. 

“Just tell the truth, Quinn. You aren't here to bully Rachel; no, you're here because you want Rachel, in a way that I can assure you is not mutual. You sure are screwed up, Fabray. You bully her so badly that she has to leave her school, and now here you are, pining after her?” 

My eyes shot up to Quinn's, my jaw dropped nearly to the floor. What Hadley was insinuating was absolutely ridiculous...wasn't it? Quinn Fabray wasn't gay, and was most definitely not attracted to me. Quinn Fabray was practically the poster child for straight, American teenage girls. If that was the case, then why was she looking away, her expression so pained?

“This has actually been fun. Definitely made my night. Go ahead Quinn. Do it. Tell her you don't want her. Tell her that you haven't fantasized about being with her.”

At this point in the conversation, I expected Quinn to turn around and rush out of the room. Surely what Hadley was suggesting was making her uncomfortable. Quinn and I were in the process of building our tentative friendship, and at that precise moment I thought I saw the foundation crumble before my very eyes.

“Hadley, stop. You're...you're making her uncomfortable. Quinn and I have come to an understanding. Granted, I don't agree with many of the decisions she's made in the past, but she and I have made amends, and are working on becoming friends. It's more than I could have ever hoped for, actually.”

Hadley looked down at me, studying my expression carefully.

“The fact that you would even want to become friends with someone like her is beyond me. After everything that she's done to you, done to me, even? I'm sure we'll have time to discuss it later. But right now, I see something far more important going on, and I know Quinn sees it too. I want her to admit it. Why she's here. Why she decided to obsessively follow you to your new school, and why she can't even look at you. Go ahead Quinn. Enlighten us.”

Quinn growled loudly and turned to face Hadley. After glaring pointedly at her, she finally looked at me, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she turned around fully to look at the silent Latina. Santana stood up slowly and walked towards Quinn, shrugging off Brittany's hand on her arm, and ignoring her protests to sit back down.

“You don't have to stoop to her level, Quinn. Ignore the bitch. She's just talking shit. It's all she's ever been good at, really.” A part of me wanted to defend Hadley, but she seemed to be doing perfectly well on her own at the moment.

Quinn turned to Santana, murmuring softly. Santana nodded slowly before crossing her arms and looking at Hadley, eyes hard and face emotionless. 

“I'm sorry, Quinn? What was that? Would you like to share with the rest of us?” Hadley put her chin on my shoulder, and smiled widely when Quinn clenched her fists together.

“I said...I'm not running away, and I won't lie to her anymore.” As soon as those words left her mouth, I forgot how to breathe, and the world around me stopped moving entirely. She didn't deny it. She didn't throw an insult at me, and she hadn't stormed out angrily. If anything, she had just confirmed what Hadley had initially said. Which meant that Quinn...Quinn..she...

“Well. I think that you've said all that you wanted to say, Quinn. I think it's time for you to leave.”

With Quinn's...declaration hanging in the air, Hadley's tone changed quickly. It seemed she was no longer enjoying her little game with Quinn. Apparently the answer she had received had caught her off guard, and she didn't like it.

Quinn's mouth dropped, and she stepped forward quickly. 

“No, I'm not done here.”

Hadley jumped forward, her voice coming out as a growl.

“Yes you are. Get your stuff and leave, and don't ever come back.”

Quinn scoffed and smiled in a nasty way that I was used to seeing in the hallways. Her eyes narrowed as she stared Hadley down. Her next words were spoken in a menacingly low tone, so much so that I didn't catch what she said.

“You're still nothing. I want you to know that. You may speak like you've made something of yourself, but the truth is, you'll always be below me.”

Hadley took another step towards Quinn.

“That might be all well and good, but there's one thing that I have that you will never take from me. You see that girl over there? It's me she wants, not you. I'm the real winner here. You get to leave with your tail between your legs, once again alone. She's mine. Not yours. Mine. How does that taste? Not much like winning, huh?”

Quinn took another step forward, and I was suddenly scared that I would have to intervene to stop a fight.

“I guess you don't know Rachel as well as you think you do. No one owns Rachel Berry; no one. She's completely her own person. And that jacket stunt? Trying to prove to all of your jock friends that she's yours? She'll figure it out. She's a smart girl. It won't take her long to see what you're doing.” Before Hadley had a chance to speak, Quinn pushed past her and stepped in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes were clear, all traces of previous anger were completely erased as our eyes met.

“Quinn...I...I don't know--”

Quinn put a finger softly to my lips to silence me, grinning slightly when a small blush appeared on my cheeks. She spoke in a low tone, reserved for only us.

“I know that you don't understand. I know that none of this makes sense. In time, I promise it will. I promise you that I'll explain things to you..now just isn't that time. Please. Please tell me that you haven't lost faith in me, and that you want to see me again. Please.”

I nodded my head many times, trying my hardest to use my words. I cleared my throat and looked up at her.

“Yes...yes, I want to see you again.”

Quinn let out a soft breath and took a step back, relief covering her face. Hadley continued to glare at her until Quinn made her way back to the window. 

“If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from her. Oh, and do me a favor, will you? Take Brittany's dog with you, and keep her leashed up next time. I don't like looking at her.” 

I couldn't hear what was being said, but from Santana's reaction, it wasn't something entirely nice. It seemed like it was taking all of Brittany's strength to keep Santana from rushing forward. Hadley turned away from them, staring hard at me.

“Rachel, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I'd like to talk to you more about this later if you'll let me.”

With that said, Hadley turned and made her way out of the room, shutting the door loudly behind her. I rubbed my eyes hard and sat back on my bed, placing my head in my hands. The only sounds in the room were currently coming from Santana, who at the moment was kneeling in front of a very sad looking Brittany, murmuring softly.

“Te amo. Tú eres mi corazón. Te amo, lo siento. I didn’t mean to push you away, Britts.”

Brittany wiped at her eyes and placed her forehead to Santana's. 

“I know, Sanny. I know. You were just worried for Quinn. Te amo, Santana.”

Santana let out a half sob, half laugh, and placed her head in Brittany's lap. Such a blatant display of affection caused me to look away, feeling as though I were intruding on a very personal moment. Unfortunately for me, upon looking at anything that wasn't Brittany or Santana, my eyes met Quinn's, and I was unable to tear away. Her eyes gazed softly into mine, trying to convey...what, exactly?

The sound of the door opening caused Santana to jump up, and Quinn to step forward, breaking our eye contact immediately. The person that entered wasn't at all who I expected, though their entrance fsiled to inspire feelings of comfort. 

Cameron stood there, her hands in her pockets, her eyes looking everywhere but at us. When Santana growled and moved forward, Cameron took a step back and put her hands in front of her in a show of surrender.

“I know you don't want to see me. I know that I've been horrible lately, and I'm probably one of the last people that you want to see right now. Given the appropriate chance, I'd like to apologize to both of you formally.” She looked towards Santana and Brittany, an overlaying sadness in her eyes that she couldn't quite mask.

“I just wanted to warn you that some of the teachers are coming this way, so you might want to...uhm. Get going, before they get here. That's all.” 

With that said, she gave Brittany one last meaningful glance before heading back into the hallway. 

Santana looked away, her eye brows knitted together.

“I still don't like that girl. But she's right. We need to get out of here, Quinn. Berry, I'm sure I'll see you around some time soon. Sorry for all of this, but I think in the end it'll be worth it.” Santana turned to Brittany and pulled her in close. Placing her lips onto Brittany's in a chaste kiss, she pulled back and made her way to the window. I glanced at Santana briefly before looking at Quinn.

“I'll see you soon, Rachel. I'm sorry it turned out like this, but I swear to you, I'm not running away again.” With that said, Quinn turned to where Santana was waiting, leaving me standing there with so many questions unanswered. 

“Wait! Please. Wait. Just...explain to me. I don't understand. Please.”

Before Quinn was able to speak, Santana spoke up, her tone firm, yet understanding.

“We have to go, Berry. Now isn't the time. If Quinn and I get caught here, we won't be able to come back easily, and then you'll never understand. You get me? I won't be able to see Brittany, and you...well, you'll miss out on something that could potentially be amazing.” 

I nodded at her, but I was still unhappy with the answer. Santana nodded once in my direction and gave Brittany a wink before heading outside. Brittany jumped up and rushed Quinn, pulling her in what appeared to be quite a bear hug. Quinn smiled and pulled back, ruffling the taller girl's hair affectionately. I looked on nervously, not entirely sure how I should be feeling. Quinn hazarded a quick glance in my direction before following Santana outside. 

This felt all too familiar, and yet at the same time, completely unlike anything I had ever experienced before. A part of me wanted to follow Brittany to the window and stare after the two Cheerios just as we had done before, but another part, one who was very confused and slightly frightened, wanted nothing more than to sit down and gather her thoughts. 

When Brittany saw me collapse back onto my bed, she bounded over to me quickly, instantly by my side.

“Brittany. Please excuse my language, but given the current situation, I believe that it is entirely warranted but...what the hell just happened?”

Brittany frowned deeply and laid down, cuddling into my side. 

“Well...I think that Quinnie has a lot she needs to explain to you. I think when you guys are able to talk, you'll understand everything a lot better.”

I looked up into her blue eyes, and saw nothing but honesty there. I moved my head to her shoulder and put my arm gently over her stomach, sighing in content when she moved her fingers softly through my hair. If only Santana could see us now. I could imagine the uproar that this position would cause, but I felt no guilt. This was solely for comfort, something which I was in dire need of at the moment. 

“Brittany, what did she mean? Hadley said something about Quinn's feelings; feelings for who, exactly? And what did Quinn mean when she said she couldn't lie anymore? I feel like so much happened all at once, but it was all too fast for me to comprehend.”

Brittany sighed softly, keeping silent for a moment.

“I think that Q has a lot of feelings, and she can't keep them inside anymore. She used to be really good at it, just like San. The both of them are really great at pretending that they're full of nothing, when really they both have so much inside of them that it's hard to keep it all in sometimes, you know?”

I nodded against her shoulder, her explanation making perfect sense. 

“Q..the way she looks at you is different. She's different. Whether you meant to or not, I think you changed her, Rach. She seems lighter; happier.”

I sat up slowly, thoughts racing through my head a mile a minute.

“Why, oh why, did she have to say those things? Just when I thought I knew what I wanted, and how things were going to play out, Quinn Fabray throws a wrench into it. I should be angry with her. I should be livid. She treated me terribly, and to find out that she did the same thing to Hadley? I shouldn't even want to see her.”

Brittany nudged me softly. “But?”

I relaxed my shoulders and sat up straight. “But I'm not, and I do. A part of me understands Quinn, and how she could do the terrible things that she's done. I should, by all right, be furious with her. But I'm not. And you know why? It's because she's human. We all make mistakes, even Quinn Fabray. I think that we all need someone there to forgive us, and tell us that things will be all right in the end. I think that Quinn has kept up her end of the bargain so far, which shows me that she's serious about wanting to make amends.”

Brittany nodded and stood up, heading to her own bed.

“But..you know she wants more, right? You could see it in her eyes, couldn't you?”

 

I hummed softly in response. “I saw something there Brittany, something that wasn't there before. I'm not entirely sure what it means. It could be nothing, and I'm looking into more than I should be, but everything she said...I'm just so confused right now, and none of it makes sense.”

I paused to gather my thoughts once more, and continued on.

“I never for one minute thought that Quinn could feel the same. I hoped and prayed everyday, but the rational side of me knew it could never happen, and that I should just move on. But now she's here, saying nothing and everything at once, and I don't know what to do. Brittany, please, lend me your infinite wisdom. What should I do?”

Brittany scrunched her face together, ever the perfect image of deep thought.

“You need to wait. I know it sucks, but you need to wait until you can talk to Q. You also need to talk to Hadley. I'm sure she's pretty upset right now, too. Seeing Q set her off, and I don't think she reacted in a way that she wanted you to see.”

She was right. There was really nothing I could do until I was able to speak to Quinn. And then there was the issue of Hadley. What were my exact feelings towards her, and how did she feel towards me? I knew that we were in the process of developing into something more, but was that what I really wanted? I knew that after Quinn, I had to move on for the betterment of my sanity. But...was Hadley the right person? An even bigger question at the moment; did I want to move on?

“Oh. Rachel. One more really important thing.”

I leaned closer, listening intently.

“Don't wear that jacket around Q. It made her really unhappy. She tried to hide it, but I could see that she was sad.”

I looked to the article of clothing that I had discarded haphazardly after everyone had left. It made Quinn unhappy? It was just a jacket. Why did she have such an adverse reaction to a piece of clothing?”

“I don't think I understand, Brittany. Why would that bother Quinn? Hadley gave it to me to keep me warm. It was a very sweet gesture.”

Brittany looked to the side, avoiding my questioning gaze.

“What aren't you telling me, Brittany?” 

Brittany huffed and finally looked my way.

“It's just...usually you give your Letterman to someone that you're dating. It's pretty much a way of saying almost that you belong to that person, and that you're of limits. Quinn saw it, and she wasn't happy. I'm actually surprised that she didn't try to take it off of you herself.” Brittany got up and headed to her closet. After a few minutes of rustling noises, she emerged with a smile on her face, and her arm raised out to me.

“See? This is Santana's. She gave it to me in secret, because we had to be really careful around other people. I have hers, and I gave her mine. Sometimes when I miss her really badly, I wear it to bed. It always gives me good dreams.”

I took the article of clothing from her hand and inspected it closely. It was definitely the official jacket of the Cheerios, and had Santana's name and Cheer number on it. 

My jaw dropped when I realized what it was exactly that she had said.

“Rachel Berry belongs to no one! We aren't even officially dating yet. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was the work of one of the football jocks.”

Brittany placed the jacket back into her closet, a small smile on her face.

“Cheer leaders can get just as bad. They like people to know who they're dating, so they know that they're off limits.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, not liking the direction that this conversation was headed in. Before I was able to speak, a small knock on our door silenced me. Less than a second later, Hadley walked in, her head lowered slightly.

“Rach...can we talk now? I need to explain some things to you. I know I reacted badly, and I was wondering if we could maybe talk about it?”

I turned to Brittany, not wanting to be alone right now. Brittany gave a barely noticeable nod before walking into the hallway, shutting the door softly behind her. As much as I wanted her to stay, I knew the appropriate thing to do was get this cleared up. Hadley wiped at her eyes before sitting across from me. I remained silent, unsure of what to say.

“I don't like that she came here. I don't like it, for very obvious reasons. That girl made my life hell, and seeing her...it brought back some very unpleasant memories for me. What I don't understand is why you even let her in. I know her, Rachel. I know the real Quinn. I'm sure that everything that she said to you was garbage, and she's spewing lies so she can use it against you later. That's the kind of person she is. Quinn Fabray has no feelings.”

I stared at her for a minute, going over in my head exactly what I wanted to say.

“Are you quite finished? Listen, Hadley. I know that Quinn was downright cruel to you when you were younger. I understand, more than you'll ever know. What I need you to understand is that I believe in second chances. I believe that people can change, and that they can change for the better. When Quinn first came to me, I reacted much in the way that you just did. I was angry, and I wanted to lash out at her for hurting me. But you know what? That accomplishes absolutely nothing. I made the conscientious decision to forgive Quinn, because I knew that she was sincere, and that she wanted to change. I don't trust her completely, but I'm willing to work on that.” 

Hadley jumped up, her fists clenched tightly.

“You can't trust her, Rachel! She's bad news. She always has been, and she always will be! She's going to hurt you, and she's going to hurt you badly. I...I don't want you seeing her. I don't want her coming back here.”

I lifted an eyebrow slightly, trying to calm down. Getting up, I moved to where her jacket was currently hanging. I put my hand out, waiting for her to take it back. I sighed softly, no traces of anger in my voice.

“I understand why you're acting this way, really I do. But this is my decision, not yours. I don't blame you for the feelings that you have towards her. There is one other thing, though, concerning you and I. I think that we may have moved too quickly. I think that in all of my excitement of meeting new people and getting away from all of the negativity, I lost sight of what was important to me. I really do want to be your friend, Hadley. Right now though...I think that's how we should remain. I'm not ready to rush into anything. I hope you understand.”

Hadley took the jacket from my hand softly, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

“I won't give up on us, you know. As for Quinn...she's taken up far too much of my time today, and I'd really like to stop talking about her. I'll see you later, Rachel. I promise you, I'm going to make this work.” Before I was able to respond, she had already left the room, jacket in hand. 

Though it was true that Rachel Berry had a flair for the dramatic in life, this was the complete and utter definition of going overboard. 

 

...GLEE!

Brittany walked through the hallways, looking for the one person that she usually tried to avoid. The girl's earlier actions had confused her, and she wanted answers. She didn't have to look much further than the bleachers. There on the top step was the frail looking girl who's actions had potentially saved Santana and Quinn.

“Cameron. Why are you out here all alone? It's getting cold.”

Cameron's gray eyes looked up to meet Brittany's, a look of panic in the rolling fog. The last time they had been out here, it hadn't ended well.

“I just wanted to clear my head, that's all.”

Brittany took a seat next to Cameron, unsure of what to say. She knew that she was thankful, and she knew that the appropriate thing to do was to voice her thanks. What she didn't want, however, was for her words to be misconstrued into being something that they weren't.

“Cameron, I..what you did earlier...”

Cameron cut Brittany off, her nerves getting the best of her.

“Brittany, don't thank me. Please. I have so much to apologize for. I know that I went too far. Believe me, I know that. I've been thinking a lot about that, and I really wanted the chance to apologize to you. I see now what she means to you. I see now that you belong together. I won't say that it doesn't hurt, because it does. But Brittany, if she makes you happy, then I'm happy too. She really does care for you.”

Brittany smiled widely, surprised by the shorter girl's words. 

“You mean it? You're like, okay with it and stuff?”

Cameron gave a small laugh, a sound that Brittany hadn't heard in a long time.

“I am okay with it, and I'll be okay. It'll take time, but Brittany, I really miss you. I miss being your friend. We had some fun times together.”

Brittany openly laughed at this, remembering the fun times that they had shared.

“I miss being your friend too, Cameron. I want to hang out, I want to get back to that point where we laughed with each other and joked around about dumb things. But...you have to understand. Santana will want to be there when we hang out, at least in the beginning. I know her. She doesn't trust you, and you kinda have to see it from her perspective.”

Cameron nodded thoughtfully, expecting no less.

“It's okay, Brittany. I do understand. Maybe...maybe she and I could even become friends too. Who knows.”

Brittany laughed and stood up, and Cameron following suit.

“Can I hug you now? Is that okay?”

Brittany nodded, smiling softly at the girl's timidity.

What the two of them failed to notice, however, was that at just the right angle, that hug seemed far more intimate than it was. They failed to notice that if you happened to be walking by at just the right time, that hug looked more like a kiss. They failed to hear the shutter of the camera as it went off, just as easily as they failed to hear the retreating footsteps on the soft grass.


End file.
